Surprise
by xBrokenxAngelxWingsx
Summary: We all know the infamous story of Uchiha Sasuke leaving. Well, what happened if a couple of nights beforehand, he and Haruno Sakura had, well...I'm sure you can guess. Now, seven years later, he returns, only to find a little surprise waiting for him...
1. Sunrise

**_Surprise _**

Full Summary: We all know the infamous story of Uchiha Sasuke leaving. Well, what happened if a couple of nights beforehand, he and Haruno Sakura had, well...I'm sure you can guess. Now, seven years later, he returns, only to find a little surprise waiting for him...

**Chapter 1: Sunrise **

"C'mon, Uncle Naruto! I wanna get there before the crowd does!" A six-year old girl giggled, excitedly pulling around a loud-mouthed blond man. He grinned at the little girl.

"Calm down, Akina-chan! I'm sure that we'll make it!" He told her, laughing. She turned around, and pouted at him.

"I don't wanna be late!" She said, huffing childishly. Naruto smiled at the little girl, who promptly smiled back. She then tugged at his hand harder.

"We're almost there!" She yelled happily. Within moments, they arrived at their destination. The cliff over-looked all of Konoha, which was bathed in darkness, but not for very long.

The two sat down, Akina sitting in Naruto's lap, holding her breath. The horizon began to glow pink, and Akina let out an excited squeal. Naruto smiled gently, his arms wrapped around the girls tiny frame. Slowly but surely, the sun began to rise.

"It's so beautiful..." She whispered in awe. The rising sun caught her dark hair, and Naruto sucked in an angry breath. His niece did not hear it. He was then forcefully reminded of just exactly she looked like Sasuke. Quickly, Naruto shook himself of his morbid thought. _'Now is not the time.' _He mentally chidded himself.

"Alright, Akina-chan, I think it's time to get back. I don't want your mother to get worried about you.'' He told her. Akina turned to face him, her obsidian eyes sparkling with happiness. She nodded, and smiled sweetly.

"Okay, Uncle Naruto." She told him cheerfully. She then proceeded to hop off his lap, still gazing at the glowing sun. Naruto smiled gently and took her hand. They walked back to Akina's house in silence. Opening the door, Akina smiled at her uncle.

"Want to come in for some breakfast?" She offered.

"Nah, that's okay. Your Aunt Hinata is waiting for me at home." Akina pouted, but then smiled as Naruto bent down and kissed her forehead affectionately. Luckily, she had not suffered her mother's accursed forehead.

"Bye Uncle Naruto!" She called cheerfully, waving to his back. He lifted a hand in farewell and kept on walking. Smiling, Akina closed the door, and headed for the kitchen. Her mom wasn't up yet, and so, grinning evilly, the little girl decided to go wake her up. Padding softly to her room, Akina opened the door cautiously. A spot of pink was splattered across the white comforter. The only sound in the room was the deep, even breathing of her mother. Suddenly, Akina didn't think this was such a good idea. After all, her mom must've been working late last night. The dark-haired girl turned and gently closed the door. She then proceeded to head back to the kitchen. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a blue bowl, and hopped onto the counter. Akina then rummaged through the cupboards until she found a cereal she liked. Pouncing down, she grabbed a carton of milk from the refrigerator, and poured in the cereal, then the milk. Putting back the milk and humming gently, she grabbed a spoon, and sat at the table.

She had only just finished when her mother entered. She was yawning and rumpling her hair, while also stretching. Akina raised an eyebrow. Her mother merely smiled at her.

"Good morning. I see you've already had your breakfast." Akina nodded.

"You're already dressed as well." Again, the younger girl nodded. Sakura looked at her suspiciously, and her daughter smiled.

"Uncle Naruto took me to go see the sunrise." She explained.

"Ahhh..." Said the pink-haired medic. Suddenly, the door opened, and a silver-haired man walked in.

"Uncle Kakashi!" Akina screamed joyfully, running up to the older guy. Kakashi grabbed her and swung her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

"I missed you!" She told him, pulling back and pouting cutely. He laughed.

"Sorry, Akina. I just got back from my mission." Sakura smiled softly at the interaction between her daughter and her former sensei.

"Hello, Kakashi." She greeted him. He smiled at the older woman.

"How was your mission?" He shrugged.

"It was fine." He replied.

"I'm about to make pancakes, do you want some?" Sakura asked, and the Jounin smiled and nodded.

"That'd be great, thanks."

"Mommy?" Akina asked when they were all done with their breakfast. Sakura turned to her daughter from where she was washing the dishes. She raised an eyebrow.

"Can I go see Aunt Ino and Uncle Shika?" She inquired sweetly. Her mother frowned, pretending to think about her answer.

"Alright, as long as Uncle Kakashi takes you there." Kakashi anime sweat dropped, but then smiled at the little girl.

"Of course I'll do it."

Squealing happily, Akina rushed to the front door. Kakashi glared at his former student, who merely smiled at him.

"See you later, Sensei!" She told him.

"Akina, be good!" She called to her daughter.

"Don't worry, mommy, I will." Her daughter replied back.

"See you later!" And with that, the two of them made their way from the house.

"Uncle Kakashi?" She asked, turning to him. She put her arms up, and Kakashi smiled, and picked the girl up, placing her on his shoulders. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence.

"Mom, I'm home!" Akina called out. There was no answer. Frowning, Akina walked into the kitchen, and saw a note. She chuckled at her own stupidity. _'Uncle Naruto is rubbing off on me.' _She thought to herself, and read the note. It said:

_Akina, _

_Off food shopping. Be back soon, so don't worry. _

_Love, _

_Mom _

Akina wanted to laugh. Who else would it be? Still chuckling, she decided to go watch t.v. The six year old shoved some popcorn in the microwave, then settled on the comfortable chair and popped in a movie. She paused it, waiting for her popcorn to be done. Once it was, she put it in a bowl, and watched her movie. This was where her mom found her three hours later. The bowl was on the table, and her daughter was fast asleep on the chair, rolled up in a cute fetal position.

Smiling, Sakura picked Akina up bridal-style, and walked into her room. Her room was in a navy blue color, with mostly white furniture. She had a dark blue comforter, along with pillows, but the sheets were white. Sakura then laid her daughter down and headed back into the living room. She decided to follow the younger girls example, and began to watch a movie, finishing off the popcorn. Eventually, the movie ended, and Sakura got up, and rumpled her clothes, making sure there were no crumbs on her shirt or pants. She then washed the empty bowl, and gently opened Akina's door.

She was fast asleep, her arm underneath the pillow, breathing deeply. Her black hair was spread across the pillow, and the moonlight shone on it, and her daughter, making Akina look like an angel. Sakura smiled, feeling tears pool at the corner of her eyes. Not for the first time, she was harshly reminded of Sasuke. She knew the first time that she saw her daughter that she would definatly carry the Uchiha traits. And little Akina did. Smiling, Sakura walked over to her and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Goodnight, baby girl." She whispered to the prone girl, and walked out of the room, closing the door softly. Sakura then walked into her room, and began to get dressed. Yawning, she got dressed in blue boxers that Sasuke had left behind, and she threw on a dark blue shirt that had also belonged to the prodigy. She smiled as she lifted the shirt and deeply inhaled his scent. Kami, how she missed him. Sakura walked over to her desk, and picked up the oh-so-familiar picture frame of Team Seven. Just like every night, she brushed her thumb across the scowling picture of Sasuke. Just like every night, those same words fell from her lips.

"Goonight, Sasuke. I love you." With that, Sakura slipped into her bed. Just like every other night, she dreamed of the man that had stolen her heart and still had it.

**A/N-This is my cousin's story. Not mine so yeah...**


	2. Pictures

**Chapter 2: Pictures**

Akina hummed gently as she washed the windows. The youngest Haruno was currently in the attic, cleaning it out for her mom. She knew her mom cleaned everything else BUT here. Chuckling slightly, she turned up the music, then went back to the windows. An hour later, everything was clean and sparkling. Settling herself on a chair she had brought up here, Akina decided to go through the boxes. She was curious as to her mothers past because of how rarely she spoke of it.

When she opened the first box, she was surprised to see a shirt. It was unfamiliar to her. It was midnight blue, with a red and white fan etched on the back. _'I wonder who's this was...' _She wondered. She then rummaged around and found a sketchbook. She flipped it open, and saw a man. He was standing in a fighting stance. It was obvious that her mother used to have feelings for him, because as she looked through the sketches, he was on every page. _'Whoever he was, he was handsome.'_ Akina thought to herself. When she looked through the boxes, she found more of the shirts with the red-and-white fans. The young girl decided to keep a shirt, because they must be sentimental to her mom. Akina then ventured downstairs, hugging the shirt to her and she caught it's smell. She was a smart girl, and realized that the man in her mom's sketches and this shirt belonged to each other. So the man smelled nice. Akina tucked his scent away into the back of her mind for later. She then put it in an empty drawer in her room.

"Akina-chan!" Yelled a male voice, and the dark-haired girl turned at the sound of her name.

"In here, Uncle Naruto!" She yelled.

"In here where?" He shouted back. She giggled.

"My room!" Akina called. Her uncle walked into her room and smiled in relief.

"Good, I woke up and didn't know where you were." He told her.

"Oh, I was in the attic." Naruto froze, his eyes wide. _'Oh no! That's where Sakura hides all of the team's things!'_ He thought frantically.

"W-what were you doing up there?" He inquired, trying his hardest to keep the panic from his voice. His niece shrugged.

"Cleaning." She told him simply.

"Cleaning what?" He asked, feeling his throat tighten. _'Oh Kami, please don't let her have gone through those boxes...'_ He thought to himself.

"Oh, the windows, the floor. Mom never cleans there, so I thought I'd help her out and clean it myself. I didn't touch the boxes, though. They're probably mom's stuff from our last apartment, like breakable china and all that expensive stuff.'' Her nose wrinkled.

"I knew that I'd probably wind up breaking them, so I didn't even open them. I'll let mom take of those when we're 'officially' settled in." With those words, Akina grinned at her uncle. He let out a sigh of relief. _'Good, so she didn't touch the boxes, and nor will she ever.' _Akina pretended to be confused at the man's actions. She tilted her head. The loud-mouthed blond froze at this, having just realized what he did. He laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair.

"So, Akina-chan, do you want a grilled cheese sandwich?" He asked, trying to distract his niece. It worked. She squealed and ran towards the kitchen. Naruto smiled in victory. He had successfully changed the subject.

"Hurry up, Uncle Naruto!" Akina called.

"Alright, Akina-chan, hold on!"He grumbled playfully as he strolled into the kitchen. The dark-haired girl threw him a disgruntled look, seated at the table.

"It was _your_ idea, Mr.Smarty-Pants." She reminded him. Naruto smiled and rumpled her hair affectionately. Said girl squealed angrily. Naruto made Akina her grilled cheese sandwich, and they sat together at the table, her munching happily on her sandwich, him eating some ramen.

Finally, Akina drained her cup of milk, and turned to stare seriously at her uncle. Sensing her gaze, he looked at her, confusion written all over the 20 year olds face.

"What's the matter, Akina-chan?" The little girl sighed, fidgeting slightly.

"U-Uncle Naruto, how come I don't have a daddy...like everyone else?" Time seemed to move in slow motion for the man. '_You should've known a time would come when she would ask that question.' _His inner self chidded him lightly. What was he to tell her? That her father was a power-seeking maniac? That he had killed thousands of people to _obtain_ that said power? That he was a cold-hearted bastard who didn't care about her or her mother? No. That would only serve to break her little heart. If there was one thing he hated, Uzumaki Naruto hated seeing Akina's tears. They hurt him the same way Sakura's did. Naruto let out a long breath.

"Your father is off fighting a war." He finally told her. He did not include that this war was an internal struggle. Akina's eyes widened in that way that only children could.

"He is? Oh man, that is so cool!" Naruto felt his heart tear with guilt. His niece obviously had the wrong impression about her father, but who was he to take away her happiness.

"Akina..." He said carefully, leaving out the honorific to let her know he was serious. "What brought about this question?" He inquired. The little girl frowned and shrugged. She averted her gaze to the wall.

"I saw a little girl I knew and her dad walking around the park earlier today. They were holding hands, and they seemed so happy together." She turned to look at Naruto. He saw the pain hidden in those dark eyes, and it pained him.

"I think of you, and Uncle Kakashi, as my surrogate fathers. But it's not the same, you know?" Her voice had turned bitter, and there was a wistful smile on her face. Oh, Naruto knew ALL too well how that feeling felt. It had been the same one he had felt with Iruka-sensei. It was like, they were closest thing to a father they had, just not quite. It still hurt all the same. He got up, and kneeled in front of his neice.

"Yes, Akina-chan, I do understand." He gently wrapped his arms around the little girl.

"I know how badly it hurts, I know no one will ever take your daddy's place. He loves you very much, you know. I'm sure he would be proud of you." Lie after lie. When would they stop. Akina hugged him tightly, and Naruto felt his chest constrict painfully. There was a wetness on his shoulder that hadn't been there five minutes ago.

"Thank you, Uncle Naruto." Came Akina's muffled voice. Naruto closed his eyes tightly. He was close to crying himself, on how ashamed he was of himself. Not for the first time, the blond cursed the day Uchiha Sasuke walked into their lives.

"Mommy..." Akina dragged out slyly. Her pink-haired mother turned to face her daughter warily. _She was up to something..._

"Are you going out on a DATE, mom?" The obsidian-eyed girl teased her mother.

"Yes." Sakura said easily, and Akina's eyes widened. Her mom had answered without a fight.

"Now, Akina, could you go grab my necklace? It's on my desk in my room." The dark-haired girl nodded, and rushed into her mother's room. As she was looking for the object her mom asked her for, she spotted a picture. Curiously, the six year-old picked it up. In it, her mom was REALLY young. Perhaps only 12. There in the pic was her Uncle Naruto and Uncle Kakashi, but a man she didn't recognize. Akina clutched the picture, found the necklace, and wandered back to her mom.

"I got your necklace." She said quietly, handing it to her mom. Her mom took it from her gratefully, and slipped it around her neck. Akina swallowed. She knew that the question she was about to ask would have a bad impact on her mom.

"Uh, mom?" She asked slowly. Her tongue suddenly felt too big for her small mouth. Her mom turned her emerald gaze to her daughter. Akina found herself wishing that she had her mom's eyes. They were so pretty, unlike her plain black gaze.

"W-who is this man? With the black hair?" She inquired, showing her mom the picture she had found on her desk. Sakura's eyes widened considerably, and then she closed them, laughing bitterly. Akina was suddenly sorry she had shown her mom this.

"I-never mind," She mumbled, "It's not important." With that, she began to walk away.

"No." Her mom's quiet voice stopped her.

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke. We used to be teammates." She confided softly. Akina stood very still. She could see this was hurting the older woman more than she cared to admit.

"I don't know. We grew apart." Well, she wasn't _totally _lying. After all, they did grow apart, but just in miles.

"Oh." Akina whispered.

"I-I'm going to go return this to your room." She turned on her heel and all but ran to her mother's room. If she had been thinking a bit more clearly, the youngest Haruno could have possibly realized that she looked eerily alike to this Uchiha Sasuke. She also might've realized that the man in the picture resembled her mom's sketches.


	3. Nighttime habits

**Chapter 3: Nighttime habits **

If there was one thing Haruno Akina loved, it was star-gazing. Blame her Uncle Shikamaru for this, but there was something about the shining of those balls of flames, of the warmth of the summer air, of the stillness of it all that the six year-old loved. She was still young enough to enjoy the simplicity of life.

Of course, her mother knew nothing of her daughter's late-night excursions. If she did, she might burst a capillary. Akina chuckled, folding her arms behind her head. She breathed in deeply. All around her, the crickets chirped, the birds twittered in their nests, and the fireflies blinked sleepily. The girl was wide awake. She had gone to sleep early due to a headache, and knew her mother would not wake until dawn. Therefore, Akina had a couple of hours until that time, and decided to take advantage upon such a rare gift. The only other time she got to do this was at Aunt Ino's. Akina yawned. Okay, so perhaps she wasn't as wide awake as she thought...Getting up, she brushed the dirt off herself. She wasn't exactly exhausted, so she decided to go wander around Konoha.

She knew that the ANBU guards wouldn't disturb her. She had been out enough to know that they knew her, trusted her. After all, she had been out here many times before, sometimes alone, sometimes not. But she was familiar. Akina smiled as she walked around the sleeping town of Konoha. Everything was peaceful and silent, the exact way she liked it. The lively, bustling Konoha wasn't bad, but there was something about silence that Akina loved. She supposed she got it from her Uncle Shika because her mom hated silence. She found it oppressing.

Akina knew it was late, and so, she didn't blame the guards for lightly dozing. She knew they weren't really asleep, and that they were still in tune with everything around them, but they were merely resting their tired eyes. Eventually, she sat down on the bench that was a little away from the gates of Konoha. She laid down, trying to get comfortable. She knew that the guards would wake her up before dawn, and so, she didn't worry. It was just a little nap.

"Hey, girl, wake up!" Came a rough voice and an even rougher shake. Akina moaned. She then froze. These weren't the guards. They all called her

"Akina-san.'' So then who was this man...? She opened her dark eyes and tried to make out who it was that had awoken her from her slumber.

"I'm up." She muttered, sitting up. It was dark, and she could barely see. He didn't look familiar.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously. The man snorted.

"That is none of your business. What are you doing out so late?" He shot back.

"_That's none of your business_." She retorted nastily. She was angry at the stranger's rudeness, and knew he must not come from Konoha. The man chuckled.

"Go home, little girl. The darkness isn't a place for the innocent such as yourself." He said. Was that a hint of bitterness she detected in his voice? Akina's curiosity was peaked, much to her chagrin.

"The ANBU guards are out. They know me." She told him matter-of-factly.

"What would happen if those guards weren't there? If they were all dead and unable to protect you?" Akina thought for a moment.

"If I were watching them all be killed, then I'd rush to my house." Akina stated. She was beginning to like this stranger less and less.

"What if they caught you before that?" He inquired. The little girl thought about her answer.

"I don't know." She admitted softly. The man scoffed, and Akina felt her anger flare dangerously.

"Who's daughter are you?" He asked her, getting up.

"I'm sure you don't know her. Haruno Sakura." The man froze in his tracks.

"Sakura..." He breathed, and Akina tilted her head.

"She...she had a daughter, did she? But why did you call her Haruno?" He asked, voice hard. _'Interesting.'_ Akina thought to herself, her inner self grinning evilly. The little girl fidgeted though.

"I, uh, my mom isn't married. I think she's been on a couple of dates, but not with the same guy." She confided. _'Did this man know her mom...?'_

"Your father. Where is he?" Akina shrugged, then mentally smacked herself. The man couldn't see that.

"Well, my Uncle Naruto told me he was out at war. But every time I mention my father to my mom, she stiffens up, which makes me think he's not where my uncle told me he is. I don't really mention my dad, cause it hurts my mom." The man was silent for a little while, and Akina began to get uncomfortable.

"Come on, I'll take you home." He turned to her and smirked.

"I take it Sakura doesn't know of your little habits, does she?" Blushing, Akina shook her head.

"No. But I like the darkness. It's peaceful, and quiet." The man laughed, at what, the six year old didn't know. But she liked it. It was deep, a rumble from his chest.

"Come on, let's get going." He said, motioning his head. Akina stood up, and stepped into the light. He was a little farther ahead of her, so he turned to wait. He stiffened, and Akina thought she heard a hiss, much like an intake of breath.

_'Odd...'_ She thought.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Um, Akina. Haruno Akina." She told him.

"And you are how old, little Akina?" Although her nerves a lite with fire at the ''little''comment, she answered him anyways.

"Six." The man nodded to himself, but didn't say anything more as they began to head somewhere.

"Um, this isn't the way to my house..." Akina said, licking her lips nervously. She hoped he wasn't going to kidnap her.

"Well then, Akina, lead the way." He said, gesturing for her to move in front of him. Akina nodded. They finally arrived at her house, and she turned to the stranger. He was a little bit weird, but she liked him. She felt strangely attached to him, but didn't know why.

"Well, um, thank you." She said awkwardly, gently nudging her sandal into the soft ground. The man dipped his head to acknowledge the fact he had heard her, and turned around.

"Wait!" Akina called, and the stranger stopped.

"I don't know your name." She told him. He turned to her and smirked.

"Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough. Goodbye, Akina." And with that, he began to walk away. Akina watched. Once he was totally out of her sight, she shook her head, and walked around to where her window was. It was still open. She silently climbed through, and laid down, dozens of thoughts running through her mind. They attacked her mind until she was jolted from them when her mom's alarm clock began to buzz angrily. Sakura noticed her daughter was oddly quiet the entire breakfast. She just brushed it off, blaming it on not being totally awake. Even so, she was a tad bit unnerved.

"Uncle Shikamaru is coming to watch you, okay Akina?" Sakura said on her way out.

"Okay." Akina agreed quietly. The pink-haired woman arched a brow, but said no more. A couple of moments later, her Uncle Shika came in.

"Troublesome." He muttered, and Akina smiled.

"Uncle Shika, are we gonna go cloud watching now?" She asked eagerly.

"In a couple of minutes. I know your mom is walking to work today, and I don't want her to nag that I'm not watching you properly or something of the sort." The young girl giggled. That was so like her mom. In her head, Akina could hear her mom saying all those things. She could also envision her smacking Uncle Shikamaru around. Now THAT is a funny image. A slight breeze drifted across the hill. It played gently with Akina's shirt, and she smiled, content for the moment. It was a warm afternoon, which wasn't uncommon, seeing as how it was summer.

The dark-haired girl closed her eyes. She felt so peaceful, like nothing could touch her. She opened her eyes and gazed at the clouds. Akina lazily thought of the shapes that they looked like, not really bothering to think about it. Yawning and stretching leisurely, the youngest Haruno unknowingly fell asleep. Nara Shikamaru glanced at her, smirking and chuckling.

He wished he could fall asleep, but knowing Sakura, she would take off his head if he abandoned his duties of watching her. Though he would never do that. He cared for Akina just like he cared for his own daughter, Yumi. The girl was slightly older than Akina, but not by much. She was 8, but her name stood for it all. She truly was beautiful, and Shikamaru could tell (grudgingly tell) from the way the guys looked at her. Long, silky dark hair, Yumi possessed her mother's blue eyes. Shikamaru didn't know wether this was a curse or a blessing, and settled for both. The man shook his head.

"Troublesome women." He mumbled, a small smile on his face as he thought of his wife, Ino. After all these years, she still possessed that fiery spirit. After awhile, Yumi had stopped asking _why _her father was always getting smacked around by her mom. She now just shrugged and accepted it while walking away. Shikamaru turned his attention once more to the clouds. After awhile, he felt Akina stir gently beside him. He averted his gaze to the obsidian-eyed girl beside him.

"Have a nice nap, Akina?" He teased, and his niece scowled at him.

"Shut up, Uncle Shikamaru. It's because of the sun. I felt so warm and comfortable that I fell asleep." She covertly forgot to add that she had barely gotten four hours of sleep last night. Her uncle muttered a

"Hmm..." And returned to gazing at the fluffy objects in the sky. Suddenly, somebody rushed up to them. Shikamaru frowned, sitting up. The man had blond-hair, and was practically screaming at them. Akina sat up as well. Shikamaru knew immediately from the look on Naruto's face that something was wrong. Very wrong. His mind began to whirl furiously. He barely saw that look on the blond's face, that panicked look.

Huffing, Naruto put his hands on his knees, trying desperately to catch his breath. Shikamaru waited for him patiently.

"Uncle Naruto, what's wrong?" Akina asked, fright laced in her voice. So Akina had sensed it as well. Naruto set himself upright, a hard look on his face. At this, the two other's become more worried. He was always happy, so what had happened? Immediately Akina thought of her mother, and hoped nothing bad had happened.

"Alright, Naruto, spill." Shikamaru said calmly. Naruto took a deep breath, and stared at Shikamaru.

"The teme's back."

**A/N- Okay, just to clear things up. Akina means ''Spring Flower'' which is why I chose it for her. For Yumi, her name means "Beauty." I thought that this was suitable, seeing as how she IS Ino's daughter, after all.**

**A/N- is my cousin giving you some info.**


	4. Torn

**Chapter 4: Torn **

Akina sulked. She had been sitting in the same position for THREE hours, and STILL nobody would tell her what was going on! The girl huffed angrily. She knew teme was a very bad word, and was about to scold her Uncle Naruto when she noticed the man beside her had stiffened up considerably.

"Uncle Shika...?" She asked slowly.

"Go back to the house, Akina. I will join you shortly." Shikamaru answered her, his voice steely.

"But-" She started.

"NOW!" He interrupted her, and Akina drew back from his sharp voice.

"Go now, Akina. I mean it. This is an order, and don't you dare talk to anyone on your way there." Thus bringing our attention back to the dark-haired girl. She had been locked in her room with locks and wards on the door and windows so that she couldn't escape while all three of her uncle's discussed something downstairs. Akina pouted. Sometimes, she REALLY hated her uncles. Sighing, the girl ran a hand through her black hair. It was soft and silky to the touch, and Akina smiled. She had always been proud of her hair, and she supposed she got this from her mother. Laying her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes, deep in thought.

First of all, who was this ''teme'' person? Why were her uncles freaking out about him/her coming back? She knew they weren't happy about it. Frowning, Akina picked up her head. She was severely pissed off. She knew better than to contradict her Uncle Shikamaru, he wasn't a genius for nothing after all, but did he have to be so cold to her? Just as she thought this, the man on her mind peeked opened the door and peeked at her. Akina furiously turned her head to the wall, ignoring his gaze. Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome." He said to himself, then went over and sat down on her bed tentatively.

"I suppose I owe you an apology." He told her. Akina's glare was almost burning a hole through her wall.

"I suppose you do." She said coldly, and Shikamaru sighed again. Like mother, like daughter.

"I meant every word I said, Akina." He stated.

"But perhaps I shouldn't have said it so harshly. So I apologize." His neice merely huffed, her glare intensifying.

"I know you want to know what's going on, and I promise you that you'll know soon enough." Finally, she turned her head to him.

"I'm so TIRED of hearing that bull! You'll know soon, don't worry about it Akina, you'll find out what's going on later! But then later on, everyone's all like, Oh you don't need to know about it. It's none of your business-" But she was rudely interrupted by Shikamaru,

"Of which you don't."Akina said no more, and turned her head to stare at the wall once more. Her fury had come back with a rushing avengence. Her uncle got up, and at the doorway, turned to look her.

"I'll let your mom explain it to you, but you might have to wait a while. After all, it's best that she be the one to tell you." With that, he gently closed the door. Sighing, Akina leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.

Thousands of thoughts rushed through her mind, but she angrily shoved them aside, and fell into an uneasy sleep. The sun had set when Akina opened her eyes. She shuffled into the kitchen, ignoring her Uncle Kakashi, who had obviously been sent to babysit her. The familiar orange book was in her uncle's hand, but Akina paid it no heed, and made herself some toast. She then proceeded to sit at the table, munching on it quietly and gazing out the window. Her mom should've been home by now, but Akina no longer cared. Perhaps she was just working over-time, or just talking to whoever it was that was back.

Finished with her light snack, Akina headed back to her room, and began to read. Finally, a light knock interrupted her. Glancing up, she called,

"Come in." It was her mom. Haruno Sakura had never looked this stressed out, and Akina immediatly moved over to make room for her mom, bookmarking her place and lying down. Her mom laid down next to her daughter, and for a couple of moments, silence reigned.

"Mom...are you okay?" She asked tentatively. Her mom shrugged.

"In what sense?" She asked faintly. Unsure as how to answer that, the two were in silence once more. Akina knew that now was not the time to ask about whoever the teme person was. Her mom looked on the edge of a breakdown, and Akina would not be the person to push her towards it.

"Mommy..." She said slowly, licking her lips. She never called her mommy unless she wanted something or was worried.

"I'll do the dishes and vacuum and everything tonight. Why don't you head to bed, and tomorrow I'll call in sick for you. You deserve a break." Sakura smiled gratefully.

"I'll go along with the sleeping idea, but I'm going to work tomorrow. All I need is a good, long sleep." Akina nodded, and then sat up. The pink-haired woman beside her did as well. The two walked into the hallway, and parted ways.

"Night, mom!" Akina called, her mom replying a similar greeting, only not with mom. Her Uncle Kakashi was no where in sight, but the girl had expected that.

So, Akina found herself doing what her mom normally did, and finally, at around 11, headed into the living room. She began to clean the living room, vaccuming up the crumbs in the couch and putting back all of the movies. At fifteen to twelve she was done cleaning the house, and started on the dishes. She was finally done, and laid down on her bed, exhausted.

The dark-haired girl fell asleep until it was almost nine in the morning. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her small fists. She knew her mom had already left for work, and so she went into the kitchen. Her Uncle Naruto was fast asleep on the couch, and so Akina tried her hardest to be quiet and not disturb him.

She ate quietly, and then went back into her room. She stared at the sketchbook, trying to put two-and-two together. First of all, who was this man? He looked vaguly familiar, and Akina figured she must've seen him around Konoha. However, what had been her mom's connection to him? Had they dated at one time? Perhaps he had been family, and she had been looking at this from the wrong angle. After all, Akina had no grandparents, and her Uncles Naruto, Kakashi, and Shikamaru weren't her real uncles. Her mom had been an only child. Perhaps the man had been a cousin, like a second cousin.

This was all so confusing! Akina hated not knowing things, and what had been going on only served to make her frustrated and angry. Letting out an angry groan, she shoved the sketchbook back underneath her pillow. She then laid down and glared at her ceiling. She knew it wasn't her ceiling's fault, but she felt so trapped within her own emotions that, for the moment, she hated everything. That included the piece of plaster above her. Too caught up in her thoughts, she never noticed that she and Uncle Naruto weren't the only people in the house.

However, the angry shouts coming from the living room roused her from her musings, and Akina cautiously crept out of her room. She gasped as she saw the man from yesterday standing there, and he and her Uncle were screaming at each other.

"-You've hurt her enough! Why are you here!" Her uncle yelled, his blue eyes flashing. The man turned to look at her, as did her uncle.

"Akina-chan...'' He began softly, but she didn't look at him, only gazed at the man.

Apparently, her Uncle Naruto and he knew eachother, but how? The man turned and looked at him, tearing his eyes away from Akina.

"I'll be going now." He said, and without another word, walked out the door. The two were silent for a couple of minutes.

"Uncle Naruto..." Akina began nervously, and her uncle shook his head.

"Don't, Akina. Just...don't." Naruto said, suddenly sounding tired. His niece sighed, and trudged back to her room. She didn't come out until it was almost dinner time, unable to take the rumble in her stomach any longer. Uncle Naruto made them both Instant Ramen, and they ate it quietly, no words being exchanged like they normally were.

Once they were done, Akina returned back to her room, and laid on her side, staring at her wall. Questions rushed through her mind, and the dark-haired girl sighed, closing her eyes. She felt so helpless. How did the stranger and her Uncle Naruto know eachother? Why did he look so familiar? Why were her uncles so angry now? Akina felt tears of frustration prick beneath her eyes, but she roughly held them at bay. She was NOT going to cry when she had no reason to.

Somehow, she fell asleep, although she was tortured by images that made no sense, and woke up not remembering the dream. It was closing in on eleven, and the six year old ventured out, realizing that her mom must be home. The sobs coming from the other room made her pause in shock. Slowly, she opened the door, dreading what she was about to see. Haruno Sakura had never cried in front of her daughter. Not even during sad movies. Seeing her mother crying made Akina hurt deep down, and felt her heart clench painfully. She automatically clutched her chest, while watching as water flowed from jade eyes.

"Mommy...?" Akina asked unsurely. Her mom's head snapped up, and at the sight of her, Sakura's cries became louder. Now alarmed, Akina rushed towards her mother, and hugged her shaking form to the girls' smaller form. All the younger girl wanted to do was ease this pain, and tentatively rubbed her back. She didn't know what else to do. After some time, Sakura began to take in shaky breaths.

"Mom, what's the matter?" Akina asked. Her mom hiccuped.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it." But Akina pulled back, and gave her mother a look that Sakura realized she had given her daughter tons of times. It was one that plainly said she knew she was lying. Surprisingly, the younger one let it go.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? You have off tomorrow, after all." Hesitating, Sakura eventually nodded. Akina silently climbed off the bed, and headed back to her own room. She came back moments later in a pair of pajama pants and a big t-shirt that Sakura had given her daughter. Akina didn't know that the plain black t-shirt had once belonged to her father. The pink-haired woman looked away. Just the merest mention of Sasuke made her want to cry again.

However, she couldn't. She _wouldn't_. Akina needed her. This was no time to be weak. As Sakura turned off the light, she held Akina's small body to her own. As the six year old's breathing evened, her mother thought about her day. She knew she would eventually have to tell Akina that her real last name was not Haruno, but Uchiha. She didn't know how the girl would handle it, but she worried about how her daughter would react to Sasuke. After all, he wasn't exactly one of the warmest guys. Before Sakura herself fell asleep, she prayed to whatever God there was to find strength for the days to come.

**A/N- cries I have THIRTEEN reviews for this story! I am SSSSOOOO happy! Reviews make me update faster, especially positive reviews . A lot of people have noticed I tend to end my chapters with cliffhangers. Yes, I do that. I think it keeps you on edge and makes you crave the story all the more. Sorry! ducks flying tomatoes Okay, now to answer some questions: **

**FallenTeenHearts**- Yes, that was Sasuke that took Akina home. He was shocked because it was like seeing a younger version of himself, only with longer hair.

**xTxNxLx**- You're not stupid! Trust me, Japanese lingo is HARD! Kami is like their God, and to be honest with you, I can't remember what Dattebayo means. I'm sure I know it, I just can't remember. Argh.

**Itachilover101**- Thanks! I was trying to think like Ino when I decided that they should have a daughter. I'm sure Shikamaru isn't too happy with all the attention his daughter is recieving from the boys, though. I know my father isn't sweatdrops

**Anyway, see that little purple button? CLICK IT! Oh, and to everyone else that reviewed and told me I'm doing a great job, THANK YOU SO MUCH!**


	5. Finding out

**Chapter 5: Finding out **

Akina never brought up that night again, and her mother never said anything either. Things were tense between the dark-haired girl and her uncles. Now, Akina hid in her room unless she was eating. She didn't want to talk to her uncles, and they seemed fine with this arrangement. However, when it was just her in her room, she couldn't help but feel lonely, and wonder when this awkward stage would pass. It seemed like no one had answers for her burning questions, and that frustrated Akina to no end. The one time she actually needed them, and they avoided it like the plague!

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Akina sat up. It was Uncle Kakashi's turn to watch her, and this time, she would not be refused. With a new goal in mind, the girl stomped out into the living room, hell bent on getting some answers. She found her uncle sitting innocently on the couch, reading Icha Icha Paradise. She could tell by how tense the muscles in his shoulders were that he knew she was there, and she was furious.

"Alright, buddy boy. When you, Uncle Naruto and Uncle Shika didn't explain to me what was going on, I was fine with that. But it has been over TWO weeks, and I still have no answers! All three of you are avoiding me, and this does not go down well with me! Therefore, I WANT SOME ANSWERS! NOW!" As she had gone on, her voice had gotten louder and louder to the point where she was yelling. Kakashi didn't even twitch.

"Okay, question numero uno. Who is the new guy?" Silence. That was her answer. Akina felt her blood boil.

"I know you can hear me. Don't pretend you can't, you're not THAT old." She ground out. Her uncle flipped a page and continued reading. Akina took a deep breath, trying to reign in her patience that was slipping from her grasp like water.

"Okay, don't answer that. Question number two. Who was Uchiha Sasuke." Another flip of the page. Still no answers. Akina felt like her every nerve was on fire. She was tired of playing all of her uncles' sick little games. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind, and she her inner self grinned, rubbing her hands together in glee.

"If you don't tell me, I'll go to the new guy, and ask him." Her uncle turned his eyes to her. Success!

"Actually, you won't. I'll be able to tell if you're sneaking out, and you can't just walk through that door and expect me to allow you." Akina sucked in an angry breath.

"Well, seeing as how I'm just being bombarded with answers from you..." She said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. Kakashi blinked, and began to read again. Akina let out a frustrated scream and made her way back to her room. Locking her door, the dark-haired girl curled up into a little ball, and started to cry. She refused to ask her mom, because that would hurt her. Her mom was already stressed enough. Her uncles wouldn't tell her what was going on.

All in all, Akina felt like none of the pieces were fitting, and everything lead to a dead end. Just thinking about how she felt made her cry louder. She was also trying to remember how to breathe properly without choking. Tired from her little sobbing fest, Akina climbed onto her bed and fell asleep. When she woke up, it was past dinner time. She didn't move, even when her uncle knocked on the door and asked if she wanted to eat. She didn't answer him, and he had left. She was tired of everything. Just plain tired.

So they wouldn't talk to her. Well then, she wouldn't talk to them. She could play the same games they were playing. After all, she was a stubborn girl. She wasn't her mother's daughter for nothing. For several days this went on. Akina didn't come out of her room when her uncles were there, and even Shikamaru was worried.

She begged her mom to let her stay home, because she didn't want to go to their houses. Eventually, Sakura gave in. Which brings us to Shikamaru now standing outside his nieces door, which was...locked. LOCKED! She had locked the door on him. The man growled.

"Troublesome." He muttered to himself, but couldn't help but feel worried. He knew she was depressed, and he realized (with twinges of regret) that he had helped to be a part of it.

"Akina! Open the door!" He yelled. Still no answer from her. _'Perhaps she's asleep_.' He thought to himself. Sighing, he walked away, not knowing that the person on the other side had her back against thd door, listening to every word he said. Akina closed her eyes. This was for the best.

"Akina?" Her mother called. Picking up her head, she got up and unlocked the door, then opened it. Sakura smiled sadly at her, and Akina cocked her head. It was later that night, and she noticed how exhausted her mom looked.

"Do you wanna have some hot chocolate with me?" Wondering where this was going, the girl nodded, and they headed to the kitchen together. When the drink was made and the two were seated at the table, Sakura fidgeted. Akina noticed.

"Mom, what's the matter?" She inquired, putting down the hot chocolate. Her mom sighed, and played with the table cover.

"Akina, there's something I have to tell you. I'll understand if you hate me for keeping this from you, and I'm sorry. I never thought that I would have to expose the truth to you, but I guess I should've expected it." She bit her lip gently, and her daughter was said nothing, silently goading her to go on. Sighing, Sakura took a deep breath.

"You know my old teammate, Sasuke?" At this, Akina nodded, having no idea where this was going.

"Well... he's, uh, your father." Numb. That was all Akina could feel. She felt her body go rigid and her eyes widened in disbelief, but she didn't reply to the shocking news. The dark-haired girl was trying to start herself back up.

"That's not all," Sakura mumbled. "He's back in town." Akina wasn't a smart girl for nothing. After all, her father was the Uchiha genius (although she didn't know this) and her mom had been second in their class and was now one of the top medic-nins. That meant that the stranger was her father.

Well, he was a stranger no longer. It was then Akina noticed that her mom's side of the table was damp. Her heart grew heavy, and without warning, she stood up and wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders.

"Don't worry mom, I don't hate you." She said sincerely. She could feel again, slowly but surely, and she thought she was happy. Sakura smiled, and placed a hand on one of her daughters.

"Thank you." She whispered. Akina nodded, and hugged her mom tighter.

"This is a lot to absorb in one day. I'm going to go to bed." She said, and Sakura nodded, wiping at her face hastily with the back of her hand.

"Alright, good night baby." She told her. Akina, however, did not go right to sleep. She laid there, hugging the shirt that she had found in the boxes. Why did her uncles hate her father? All of her uncles were pretty forgiving, so what had happened between them? The dark-haired girl sighed, and rolled over. It seemed like every question ended with a question.

"Tsunade-sama?"Akina called, knocking on the door.

"Come in." Yelled a voice, and she opened the door cautiously. The Hokage (although not for very long) looked down at her and smiled.

"Ah, Akina-chan, have a seat." She said, gesturing to the comfortable-looking chair in front of her desk. The young girl did so, and smiled at the older woman.

"Tsunade-sama, I, uhm, do you know Sasuke? I can't remember his last name. But do you know where he lives?" The blond had stiffened considerably, and breathed,

"Uchiha." Akina was confused, but then realized that that was Sasuke's last name. Which would probably make her Uchiha Akina. Tsunade sighed, and folded her hands, placing her chin on it.

"Are you sure you want to go see him, Akina?" She asked, and the girl across from her nodded.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama. He's my father, and I would really like to get to know him." Tsunade nodded slowly.

"Alright. He lives in the apartment near Ichiraku, number 38." Akina smiled and thanked the Hokage, bouncing out of her chair and rushing from the room. Tsunade closed her hazel eyes and sighed once more.

"Oh Akina, are you ready for the results?" She whispered to the air. Akina had never been this nervous in her life. She wiped her palms on her blue shorts and took a deep breath._ 'Relax, Akina. He's your father after all! He'll be happy to see you!'_ Her inner self argued. Nodding slightly, the girl rang the doorbell and waited. She heard footsteps, and suddenly the door was flung open. Her father looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow. Akina smiled at him.

"Hi." She greeted cheerfully.

"Hn." Was his response. _'Uh, WHAT!'_ Inner Akina shouted, and the girl had to agree. Seeing her confused face, Sasuke sighed.

"What do you want?" He asked, and the girl sighed.

"Can I come in?" He moved aside, and Akina walked into the apartment. Well, no one could say that he was poor. Akina walked over to a long table, where treasures were. A lot of them had the Uchiha fan on them, and she regarded them with interest. Behind her, Sasuke watched her, a small smile playing at his lips.

Of course, Akina didn't see this, and even if she did, she wouldn't understand yet how rare it was to just to see the Uchiha happy.

"So, Akina, was there something you wanted?" He asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Akina turned around, smiling.

"Your house is lovely." She complimented, and Sasuke nodded. He didn't say thank you, but that didn't bother the female. She headed over to the couch and sat down, and he sat across from her in a chair.

"I'm sure you didn't stop by to say hi." Sasuke said dryly, and Akina smiled.

"No, I didn't." She replied, and moved slightly.

"Why-how come-," She sighed. "Why do my uncles seem to hate you so much?" Her father stared out at the window, and Akina reddened slightly.

"I'm sorry, that was out of line-" She started, but he shook his head.

"No, it wasn't. It's only natural to be curious." He said, then sighed. "I have the most past with Naruto and Kakashi. Kakashi was our sensei, and Naruto was my teammate." Akina already knew that, so she didn't say anything.

"Look, Akina, how much do you know about me? Do you know the truth?" Sasuke said, looking her dead in the eyes. Akina now knew why he had looked so familar. He was the man in the picture, and she was a spitting image of him. Had that been why he had inquired her name, and gasped?

"I know you're my father." She said quietly. "But apart from that, I don't understand anything, and I was hoping you could clarify things for me." Sasuke sighed, and ran a hand through his raven hair.

"I'd be the wrong person to you. I'm not even fit to be a father." Akina smiled at him, and he looked at her, surprise evident in his eyes.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to have my dad come back, and now, you finally have." She shook her head.

"I don't care that right now my uncles are mad at you, they'll get over it." She bit her lip and looked away.

"Every time I saw a girl playing with her father, or even just sitting on the porch with them, it hurt. Because I knew that I'd probably never have that. Uncle Naruto and Kakashi and Shikamaru were the closest thing I had to dads, but they're not really. They have their own kids to worry about, except Uncle Kakashi, but he's married, and his wife is expecting." Sasuke said nothing, and Akina gave her father a sad smile.

"No matter what, you'll always be my dad. I don't care what your past was like, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is that you're finally home." Her father got up and angrily strode to the window.

"Don't talk about things you know nothing of." He said harshly, and Akina's eyes widened.

"Would you be proud to have a father that murdered countless people, followed one of the most evil people around. Would you care if your father was scorned by everyone in Konoha?" Akina didn't answer him at first.

"I don't care what other people think." She whispered, and didn't see Sasuke turn around and stare at her, because she had her head lowered. Tears coursed down her pale face.

"All I've ever wanted was you. My mom works a lot to make sure I get whatever I want, and I love her so much. She's always been there for me whenever I needed her, but there's always been something missing." She confessed lowly.

"I know your past may not be the best, but if you stay, you can change people's thoughts about you. You can change people's opinions." She looked up, her eyes pleading. She was mentally begging him, and he knew it. He sighed, and closed his eyes at her tears.

"Look, Akina, I'm not perfect-" He stopped. Akina had gotten up, and wrapped her arms around him. Her face rested on his waist, and he could feel the tears soaking through his shirt.

"Please, dad." She whispered. Sasuke had tensed up, and he removed her hands. He then kneeled down, and looked her dead in the eye.

"I'm not perfect." He whispered, and Akina smiled.

"That's okay. Nobody is." Then, Sasuke smiled. A tiny smile, but it was one nonetheless.

"All I can do is promise that I'll try. I'm not gonna be the best father in the world." He warned her, and Akina walked up to him, and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, burying her head in the crook of his shoulders.

"I don't care. You're here, and that's all that matters." Sasuke hesitatingly wrapped his arms around his daughter, and Akina smiled. No more words were exchanged between the two, but then again, they weren't needed.

**A/N- Oh man, two updates in two days! This was my favorite chapter that I've EVER written! That includes my 5th grade days when all of my stories sucked. Now that I look back on them, my horrible grammar makes me want to cry. Ahh, it's good to be in 9th grade. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, cause I had a lot of fun making it. Remember, reviews make me update faster! Enjoy!**


	6. Arguments

**Chapter 6: Arguments **

It had been a week after the encounter between Sasuke and Akina, and slowly, he was opening up to her. Surprisingly, he acted differently around his daughter than everyone else. Around everyone else, he was cold and aloof. Around Akina, he was a bit more gentle, and didn't insult her so much. However, he did tease her, which got her to yelling at him, which made him smirk. She might look like Sasuke, but personality wise, she was definatly Sakura's daughter.

Akina giggled childishly as she watched her father grit his teeth in frustration. Imagine that, the Uchiha genius being bad at something. She grinned. He was loosing horribly at...chess! Chess! Then again, her Uncle Shikamaru was really good at chess, and he had taught her well.

"Checkmate." Akina said calmly, and her father grunted, getting up. Akina smiled.

"It's okay, dad, we're all bad at something." She consoled, although there was laughter in her voice. Sasuke picked it up, and he twitched in annoyance.

"Hn." He muttered.

"What do you want to eat?" Akina looked surprised. She had always left before dinner time, but she supposed that because of their chess game, they got caught up and hadn't realized the time. Akina smiled at him, and shrugged.

"It doesn't matter dad. Surprise me." He nodded and turned away to head into the kitchen, but she saw the shocked look on his face. He still wasn't used to being called dad. Also, had she seen a glimmer of happiness in his eyes **(A/N- banging head on keyboard OOC! Argh!)**

Smiling slightly, Akina leaned back into the couch, and her smile widened. Dinner was a quiet affair, but it was a comfortable silence. Her father was a quick eater, she would give him that. While she ate slowly, savoring the taste, she was aware of the fact that he was staring at her. Akina bowed her head, and grinned. However, he noticed it. Her hair was up into a ponytail, thus providing no coverage. Picking up her head, she noticed his quirked eyebrow. She laughed.

"It's rude to stare, dad." She teased, and her father smirked, a touch of amusement shining in his eyes.

"Hn." He replied. Akina, getting used to his few sentances, continued to eat. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Sasuke got up and answered. Akina's ears perked when she heard her mother's terse voice. Then, both her parents walked into the kitchen. Sakura gave her a daughter a tense smile, and her father looked unfazed.

"Hi mom." Akina greeted brightly.

"Akina, Ino's having a party. I want you to come home and get dressed." Akina dropped her chopsticks in shock.

"B-but mom-" She began to argue, but with a look from her mom, she knew it was hopeless.

"Okay." She muttered, bowing her head. Sakura nodded, and then turned to look at the man in front of her.

"Sasuke. Akina will see you tomorrow." Akina, however, had other ideas. Sasuke looked down in shock. Akina looked up at him and smiled innocently. In between the two, their hands were clasped.

"Mommy..." Sakura looked at her suspiciously.

"Can dad come?" Immediatly, her father began to protest, but Akina shot him a look. Sasuke felt irritated. She dared glare at him? He was Uchiha Sasuke! He smirked slightly. Then again, she was Uchiha Akina. But that didn't give her the right to look at him like that. Apparently, Akina picked up the tension between her parents, and she quickly dropped her father's hand. His own hand now felt cold, and he felt a slight tinge of something in his chest at the heartbroken look on his face. He crouched down, so that he was level with her.

"Look, Akina, remember what I said? The villagers hate me." He told her quietly. A tear made it's way down his daughter's face, and that damn twinge had a little spasm.

"And do you remember what I said? I don't care what people think about you. It's none of their business." Sasuke gave her a tiny smile, which she returned. Sakura's eyes softened at the sight, and she fidgeted.

"Sasuke..." She said, and the obsidian-eyed man turned his gaze to her. Sakura felt her breath catch in her throat, but ploughed on. "C-come with us. It would mean a lot to Akina...and to me." Sasuke hesitated and looked down. Akina gave her father a pleading look, and slipped her small hand into his.

"Please, dad." She whispered.

Sasuke didn't know what the hell he was doing here. He suddenly found himself at Ino and Shikamaru's house (they had gotten _married_? Miracles do happen) with Sakura and Akina. He looked down, and saw the little girl standing beside him, her hand still held in his. He felt his lips twitch. She hadn't let go of his hand yet, and was looking around at all the people mingling and laughing with shining eyes.

"And look, there's Yumi, Aunt Ino and Uncle Shikamaru's daughter!" She pointed out, giggling. Sasuke could see the resemblance.

"Dad, are you hungry yet?" She asked, looking up at him. He shook his head, not looking at her. He was surveying everyone, people he had once known. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed Ino and Hinata coming over. Ino smiled at the both of them.

"Hello Akina, hello Sasuke." He inclined his head at them, while Akina grinned brightly.

"Hi Aunt Ino, hi Aunt Hinata." She greeted them cheerfully.

"Where's Kaemon-chan?" **(A/N-Kaemon meaning Joyful)** Akina asked. Ino saw the slight confusion on Sasuke's face, and smiled.

"Naruto's son." She explained. Just at that moment, a dark-haired boy with opal eyes bounded over to Hinata.

"Hi Akira-chan!" He said, grinning. Akira mimicked his actions.

"Hey, Kae-chan!" She replied. Smiling, she pointed to Sasuke.

"This is my dad. He just got back from...a mission." Luckily, the five year old boy believed his cousin, and grinned at the Uchiha male.

"Does that make you my uncle?" Sasuke's eyes widened, and Ino laughed. Hinata smiled gently.

"C'mon Kae-chan, let's go find your father." Waving goodbye to the two Uchiha's, they went off to find Naruto.

"So, Sasuke, how have you been?" Ino asked, turning to him with a slight smile on her face. Sasuke shrugged.

"As fine as expected." He answered her shortly. Ino chuckled.

"Even after all this time, you're still short on words?" She teased lightly. Akina rolled her eyes.

"Don't feel bad, Aunt Ino. I get a Hn from him most of the time. It's a miracle if he says more than three sentences." The blond female laughed, and with a wave goodbye, went off to find her significant other.

"See, dad, it's not so bad." Akina said, smiling imploringly at her father.

"Aa." He replied.

"You know, I'm probably never gonna get used to your small words." She told him matter-of-factly. He didn't answer, and Akina sighed. She didn't want to leave him here alone, because then Uncle Naruto might start a fight with her dad. She definatly didn't need that. Things were tense enough, an argument (or worse) would only prove fatal to him and her uncles brittle relationship.

Finally, the party ended, because there were still kids there, and they had to get to sleep. Akina yawned and rubbed her eyes. She was exhausted. Sasuke looked down at his daughter, an eyebrow arched. Sakura was walking beside them silently.

"Tired?" Her father asked, and the newest Uchiha heir gave him a duh look. He chuckled, and did something that surprised his two female companions. He picked up his daughter bridal-style. **(A/N-Argh, the OOC-ness. Forgive me, it's almost 2 am)** Akina, however, smiled, and snuggled in closer to her dad's warmth.

Sakura smiled, and look heaven-ward. Who knew that Sasuke could be such a caring father? Sasuke grunted, and the pink-haired woman looked at her. Apparently, Akina had fallen asleep.

"I could take her, if you'd like." She offered, but the man beside her shook his head.

"She's my daughter too." He said, stopping. Sakura's cheeks tinted red for a second before going back to their pale hue.

"Don't you think I know that, Sasuke?" She said, raising a pink eyebrow at him.

"I saw that every time I looked at her. When she was born, and I took my first look at her, I knew she would be your daughter." She smiled bitterly, looking away from his hypnotizing dark eyes.

"The sad part was, everyone else knew it too." Sasuke frowns. He doesn't like this feeling. Regret? Guilt? He doesn't know what it was. Just like Akina, Sakura makes him feel things he doesn't want to. She's still talking.

"I remember how hard it was at first to look at her. I was so young, only 16." Sakura's emerald eyes softened.

"But I never regretted it." She looked at him once more. Sasuke stared straight ahead.

"Did you ever regret it, Sasuke?" Her voice was quiet.

"No." He whispered finally. Sakura nodded, accepting his moment of weakness just as easily as she had accepted the others. They arrived at Sakura's house, and she turned to him, smiling slightly.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked, and he nodded. Akina stirred in his arms, but didn't wake up. The two of them walked into the house, and the Uchiha male took the time to look at everything. It was neat, and well furnished. It was a simple two-story house, nothing really special about it.

Silently, the two walked up the stairs, and Sakura opened Akina's door. Sasuke looked approvingly at the colors, and placed their daughter on her bed, tucking her under the covers. He glanced around, and turned to look at Sakura, who blushed. He had noticed. On the white furniture, there were red flowers.

"Uchiha colors..." He murmured, smirking at her. Sakura shrugged.

"I wanted to preserve your memory." She told him simply, and he frowned.

"You thought I was never coming back, didn't you?" She shrugged, and sighed tiredly.

"I didn't know what to think, Sasuke." She admitted.

"Sakura..." He began, but the pink-haired woman shook her head. She looked him dead in the eye, and then blushed. When had he gotten so close? He smirked at her, and finally closed the distance between them. Sakura looped her arms around his neck, and his hands clutched her waist in an almost possesive manner, like she was his. In a way, she was. Sasuke's lips were soft, and he tasted like chicken. Probably from the dinner Akina and he had had before she interrupted. Sasuke pulled back, and he smirked again, licking his lips.

"Goodnight, Sakura." He said simply, and left the room. Distantly, she heard the front door open and close. Sakura could only stand there in awe, her fingers on her lips. What in Kami's name had just happened? Finally, she snapped out of her stupor, and left her daughters room. Unbeknownst to her, a pair of dark eyes had been watching intently from her spot on the bed. Akina smirked, looking uncannily like her father. Her smirk turned into a self-satisfied smile, and once again, the girl went back to sleep. -

Her mom had to work in the morning, and Akina greeted her Uncle Naruto cheerfully as she bounded down the stairs. Her uncle nodded slightly, and she knew he wasn't fully awake yet. Giggling, she made herself some breakfast. She finished her breakfast, and smiled at her uncle, who looked more alert now that he had his ramen. However, her smile dulled when she noticed the frown on his lips.

"Umm...Uncle Naruto, is there something wrong?" She asked slowly. Her uncle's eyes snapped to her, and she noticed the anger behind them.

"Why did you bring Sasuke to the party last night?'' He asked quietly. Akina was confused, but answered him. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"I wanted him to come." Her voice was firm, daring him to challenge her.

"Nobody wanted him there, Akina!" He shouted, standing up. She flinched, but didn't back down.

"I did!" She yelled, repeating his actions and glaring at her uncle angrily.

"Well, it seems like you're the only person that did!" He retorted angrily.

"What does that matter!" She asked, her voice an icy calm.

"Because your father is a traitor! Do you know how many people he killed? And now, after hurting everybody, your mother the most, he just waltzes back and hopes to be accepted?" He snorted angrily, and Akina feels like punching her uncle for his jabs at her father.

"That's not true!" She screamed.

"He knew everyone would hate him! If you must blame somebody, blame me! But don't you dare drag him into this!" Her uncle's eyes are colder than she's ever seen them as he glares at her.

"I will do whatever I want to, Akina." She winces, but two can play this game.

"Don't bring my father into this!" She answers harshly. He smirks at her, and Akina braced herself for what was to come.

"He knew nothing about you until he came back. I bet if you hadn't gone to his house, he wouldn't have even come looking for you." At his nieces hurt gasp, his smirk widened.

"That's right. He never wanted you." He told her.

"T-that's not true!" She yelled, tears making their way down her pale face. Deep down, however, she knew it was. She ran away from her house, feeling the rain soaking her clothes and her shaking form. She ran to the only place her mind could think of, and did so without realizing it. She found herself standing in front of a familar looking door, ringing a doorbell that she knew all too well. Eventually, her father answered, shirtless and dressed in a pair of black pajamas pants. He noticed her puffy and bloodshot eyes and knew something was wrong, especially when her lower lip trembled. He kneeled in front of her, and she flung herself into his open arms.

"Daddy..." She cried, tears running down his open back. He carried her to his room, and set her down gently on his bed, then turned and rummaged through his dresser. She watched him silently, though tears were still coursing down her porcelein face. He threw a pair of clothes at her, and exited the room.

Akina walked into the living room, dressed only in one of his smallest shirts. It looked like a nightgown on her. She silently climbed onto his lap, and his arms encircled her waist from behind. This was his most gentle side, a side even she hadn't seen. Two cups of tea were set on the table, but the pair paid them no heed.

"Are you ready to tell me why you were so upset?" Her father's voice is soothing, and Akina tells him everything. She sees his fists clench. Sasuke's eyes are blood red. When he had first seen his daughter's broken form on his doorstep, heartbreak labeled clearly on his face, it had set his blood ablaze. He had wanted to kill whoever had hurt his only child like this. Now that he knew it was Naruto, he felt even angrier. Not only at the blond, but at himself.

Truth hurts, and Akina knew this. No words would be able to repair the damage. They both knew this.

"I'm sorry." He offered her.

"I know." She replied quietly. She clutched his larger hand in hers.

"Daddy?" He didn't flinch this time.

"What, Akina?" She fidgeted slightly.

"C-can I sleep here? Just for tonight." She added the last bit quickly, and shut her eyes. He sighed.

"Alright. I'm sure your mother will figure out where you went." He smirked. He knew that Naruto would then most probably have to explain to Sakura _why_ Akina wasn't there at the house when she came home. Knowing the dobe, he would have too much justice to lie. They spent the rest of the day playing games, and slowly, Akina cheered up. Sasuke inwardly smiled.

"Do you want the bed to yourself tonight?" Sasuke asked later on that day. It was getting late, and Sasuke knew it was time to go to bed when Akina yawned for the third time in a row in five minutes. She shook her head, her fingers curled around the shirt he was wearing.

"No." She whispered, and her father inclined his head. Again, they both headed towards his bedroom, and this time, Akina took in her surroundings, unsurprised to see more Uchiha things. When she curled against him, Sasuke stiffened.

"Hey dad?" Came Akina's voice in the dark. She yawned.

"Hn." Sasuke mumbled tiredly.

"I love you." If possible, Sasuke's body became more rigid. What did he feel for his heir. He smiled suddenly, although his daughter couldn't see it in the dark. He kissed the back of her head.

"I love you too." Akina smiled, though he definatly couldn't see it.

"That's all I need to know." She whispered, before falling asleep. With a small smile, the older man followed her actions.

**A/N-Oh my god, forgive me for the OOC-ness! It was so major! Ugh! Anyway, there's a reason for that. Sasuke changed in the seven years he was gone. He realized he missed Konoha, and thus, killed Itachi and Orochimaru rather quickly. I'm sorry about bashing Naruto! I love him, honestly I do. I'm just tired of seeing fics where he accepts Sasuke so easily. **

**I'm not berating the fics, because there are some out there that I like, I'm just saying it's rather predictable, and gets tiring after awhile. Oh, and regarding the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto, never fear! I'll fix that next chapter! Also, Sasuke loves his daughter. Yes, his gentleness is OOC, but it's refreshing, ne? Sorry about that, as I'm typing this, it's 3:30 in the morning. Answering reviews(27? Hell yeah! Oh, and my sequel for Only in Dreams is up! It's called Never Alone! Check it out on Christina's (Invisible1withnoFaith) profile, and review me to tell me what you think of it!): **

**Sodeno Shirayuki**-(blushes)gosh, my story isn't THAT good! It's okay, and I'm not the one to be smacking you . Trust me, you and my cousin both! She almost violently beat me when I said I might not do a continuation of my one story, Prophecy **(shudders at memory) **

**Sakura5584**- Thanks! I know Sasuke left when the gang was like, 13, but I decided to tweak it just a LITTLE bit. He left when they were 15, and Sakura gave birth to Akina 9 months later. I couldn't have them doing such bat things at such a young age. Although, I could always blame Kakashi...

**Fallen.Lunar.**- I can see you're not the biggest fan of Sasuke. Ah well, you win some, you lose some. Hope you enjoy my version of Sasuke though . Um, when you said 'Instead of her just falling into his arms', were you referring to Akina, or Sakura? Kinda confused, hehe.

**SasuSaku453**- Oh my god, you've reviewed the most (**hands over a cookie**) Anyway, your ideas aren't stupid. You actually gave me an idea! Anyway, see, I mentioned the Sharingan in this chapter just for you **(if you didn't catch it, it's when Sasuke's eyes were glowing red, but Akina didn't see it. Her back was against his chest.)** Anyway, Akina doesn't yet know about the Uchiha backround. I wonder if Uchiha's can activate it without realizing it...anyone know?

**Anyway, it's 3:40 am, and my grandmother's picking me up at 10:30 (sniffles) I feel so loved, though! So many people say they love my story! (huggles everyone) Although I would feel just a tad more loved if people reviewed Never Alone . It took me a while to write, so that story needs some love! Okay, night everyone, and remember, reviews make me update faster! Be on the lookout for the next chapter of Surprise, which will (hopefully) be out this week! Goodnight!**


	7. Making up

**Chapter 7: Making up**

When Akina went home, it was her Uncle Shikamaru waiting for her.

"Where were you last night? Sakura was worried." He said, and the dark-haired girl blushed.

"I spent the night at my dads." She told him coolly, and headed upstairs. Her uncle, however, would not leave it alone. Sometimes, Akina rued the day he had married her Aunt Ino. He was becoming as stubborn as she was.

"Any particular reason _why_ you decided to sleep over your father's?" He asked, as Akina flopped down on her bed.

"Does there have to be?" She retorted. She really did not feel like telling him how much Uncle Naruto had hurt her last night. Besides, Uncle Shika would probably take Naruto's side, knowing him. She heard the door close, and she sighed, putting an arm over her eyes. Had Uncle Naruto really meant what he said, or did he do it just in anger? No, he had meant it. It was the truth, the bitter, painful truth. She sighed again. She had seen how her father reacted last night. She almost felt bad for her Uncle Naruto, but he deserved it. He had hurt her a lot, and they both knew it.

Suddenly, her ears perked up as she heard a familiar voice. The man she had just been thinking about was talking to her Uncle Shikamaru, and she heard his voice get louder and louder. He was getting closer. Therefore, Akina did the only logical thing she could do at the moment. She turned on her side, and faked being asleep. She distantly heard her door opening, and felt her bed shift.

"I know you're awake." His voice was quiet, but Akina didn't answer him. She didn't feel like talking to him, but then again, who could blame her? Naruto sighed, and the young girl could almost envision him running his hands through his hair in frustration. She smirked. Good thing her face was facing the wall, and not him.

"Look, Akina, I'm really sorry for what I said last night." He told her, but his niece didn't answer him. She was listening intently.

"That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. I know that hurt you a lot, and…your father has changed." Although she couldn't see it, he bit his lip, remembering the cold Sasuke.

"He really loves you, and I see that now." He sighed.

"Remember when I said that I'm sure he would be proud of you? I meant that. Sasuke's different around you and Sakura, and I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that." Akina bit her lip, and sat up. She smiled sadly at the blond man.

"It's okay, Uncle Naruto. I forgive you. I know you were just mad, and you were taking your anger out on me." Naruto gathered her in a hug, and she mimicked his actions, smiling gently. It was just then that she noticed the bruises and cuts on his face, and smirked. She poked them, and he winced, then chuckled.

"You should have seen your mother last night. I've never seen her in such a rage. She almost killed me." He laughed.

"Then, when I went home, your Aunt Hinata found out about what I'd said to you." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Needless to say, I slept over Kakashi's last night. I never knew your aunt could be so _violent_." Akina laughed.

"I'll take it that your laughter is a good sign that you forgive him." Came Shikamaru's amused voice from his position against Akina's door. She nodded and smiled.

"I've got it from here, Shikamaru." Naruto said, and the dark-haired man nodded and waved goodbye. A couple of minutes later, the blonde's stomach rumbled. Akina laughed, and Naruto smiled sheepishly.

"I'm hungry. C'mon, Akina-chan, I'll treat you to some ramen at Ichiraku." Akina nodded and grinned at her uncle.

"That sounds great. I'm hungry too." She confessed with a laugh.

Eventually, they were done, and Akina smiled, rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. She was totally full, and it looked like her Uncle Naruto was too, at the moment.

"We're by your father's house, aren't we?" He asked quietly, and Akina felt like a rock had just dropped into her stomach. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going….with a nod from her, Naruto got up.

"C'mon. I haven't visited the teme in a while." Akina didn't even bother to yell at him for the curse. She was too worried about the outcome of their little visit to even correct her uncle. She rang the doorbell, and her father swung the door opened. His face darkened considerably at the sight of Naruto. It seemed like he hadn't forgotten about last night.

"Dad?" Akina began nervously, and Sasuke looked down at her. His face softened ever so slightly, and didn't go unnoticed by her blond companion.

"Why don't the two of you come in?" He said, gesturing to the people in front of him. Naruto looked around with interest while Akina sat down on the couch next to her father. He looked down at her when she placed a hand on his arm.

"Please, be gentle. He came to apologize. He means it, he already apologized to me." She whispered, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"I don't care. He hurt you, and he's not going to get off that easily." He told her.

"I know, but dad, I'm okay now. You made it all better." Her father tore his gaze from hers as Naruto sat down on the chair across from them.

"We'll see." He told her shortly, and Akina sighed. She knew that this little talk would not be pleasant.

"You know, dobe, you better be thankful that my daughter likes you so much, or else I would've ripped you to shreds the minute I saw you." Sasuke said coldly, and Akina winced at his harsh tone. Her grip on his arm tightened in warning.

"Look, teme, what was I supposed to think? You come back, and I know that Akina and Sakura have forgiven you, but we can't forget." Naruto looked down at his tanned hands, and sighed.

"It's not easy to forget." Sasuke nodded, almost in understanding.

"Yeah, I know." Akina bit her lip, trying to not allow herself to interrupt. "I'm gonna go make some tea." She said quietly, and the two men didn't even notice that she had gotten up. The dark-haired girl sighed and leaned against the counter.

"ALL YOU EVER DO IS HURT SAKURA-CHAN! WHY!" Akina winced at her uncle's loud voice.

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID DEAD-LAST!" The little girl rushed out, only to see both her father and her uncle standing up and glaring furiously at each other.

"Stop it!" She cried, running over to her father and grabbing his arm. He didn't look at her, but his fists were clenched.

"I'M NOT A DEAD LAST ANYMORE, YOU BASTARD!" Akina gasped.

"Uncle Naruto!" She yelled.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BASTARD? I'M NOT THE ONE WHO HURT A LITTLE GIRL'S FEELINGS LAST NIGHT!" Sasuke yelled back, and Akina gasped loudly. His eyes were no longer black, like her own. They were blood red, and there were three spinning commas. What had happened to her father?

"I MAY HAVE HURT HER FEELINGS LAST NIGHT, BUT YOU WEREN'T EVEN HERE AND YOU CAUSED HER TO CRY! YOU HURT HER MORE THAN I DID!" At this, Sasuke stayed silent.

"Uncle Naruto, dad, stop it, please! I beg you!" Akina cried, tears flowing from her eyes. "J-just stop it! It doesn't matter who hurt me in the past, that doesn't matter. What happened is done and over with." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Sasuke sighed, and wiped at her tears with a calloused thumb.

"She's right…dobe." He said, smirking.

"Don't call me a dobe…teme." Naruto smirked as well, and stuck out his hand. Sasuke took it, and Naruto pulled him into a hug.

"Welcome back, Sasuke." He whispered, and the raven-haired man pulled back.

"It's good to be back, Naruto."

Slowly but surely, people that had once been close to Sasuke began to accept him more willingly. In turn, Sasuke was a bit more open. Akina smiled as she held her father's hand as they walked around Konoha. It was just her, her dad, and her mom.

"I never knew you could cook, Sasuke." Sakura teased, and Akina smiled.

"You never asked." Sasuke replied, his smirk borderline on a smile. People gazed at them as they passed, shocked looks on their faces. Uchiha Sasuke, being gentle?

The three had just gotten back from a picnic, and Sakura had been pleasantly surprised. Sasuke's food was really good.

"Hey Daddy…" Akina said sweetly, and her father grunted. Sakura groaned. She knew where this was going. Their daughter wanted something.

"Pick me up and carry me?" Akina begged, standing in front of him with her arms lifted in the air. Her father raised an eyebrow, and Akina swore she could hear people gasp as her dad complied with his daughter's wishes.Akina smiled, inhaling his scent. He was so warm, and he smelled so good… Without realizing it, the little girl fell asleep. Sasuke smiled, and shifted her so that she was more comfortable.

Akina mumbled something, but Sasuke didn't hear it. Sakura smiled, and kept her eyes straight ahead.

"Who knew that the Uchiha Sasuke would make a great father?" She teased, and Sasuke smirked.

"Apparently, nobody except for Akina." He told her, and Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, she's pretty optimistic."

"She defiantly got that from you." Sasuke said, his smirk getting wider. Sakura smiled gently, but then frowned as she noticed people giving them odd looks. She really hated it. After all, Sasuke had changed. It wasn't like he was going to murder them all in their sleep.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked, looking at the pink-haired woman from the corner of his eyes. Sakura sighed.

"Everyone's looking at us like they're expecting us to shout April Fool's any minute now." She told him, a trace of bitterness reflective in her voice. Sasuke frowned, but didn't say anything. "Sasuke, when are you going to tell Akina about your past? About the Uchiha generation?" Sakura's voice was so quiet that the obsidian-eyed man almost didn't catch it.

"I don't want her to get caught up in that." He grunted.

"I don't want her to know that her real uncle murdered his entire clan except for me. How do you think she would take that?" Sakura sighed, and a ran a hand through her locks.

"I know. But what about the Sharingan?" She asked.

"Perhaps another time. She's too young. I don't want her to turn out like me." He told her simply, and Sakura nodded. This made sense. "Are you still having Kakshi, Naruto, and Shikamaru come over to watch her?" Sasuke asked suddenly, and Sakura nodded.

"You know, you could just allow her to come to my house." He said suddenly, and Sakura gaped at him. Him, Uchiha Sasuke, volunteering to take care of someone? Even more so, a helpless child? Sasuke shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

"Time changes people, Sakura." He reminded her. "I'm not as heartless as everyone thinks. She's our daughter." Sakura smiled brightly, and without warning, looped her arm through his. Sasuke didn't pull away, although his pale face was starting to stain an interesting shade of red.

"That's right, Sasuke. She's our daughter." She said, and no more words were exchanged between the two.

"Very good, Akina." Sasuke praised. It was a couple of weeks after the picnic, and the August sun was hot against their backs. School would be starting soon, and Akina had wanted to train. Remembering how Itachi never trained him, Sasuke offered to help her. He shoved back the traitorous thoughts of memories of him training alone, and focused solely on his daughter.

7 out of 10 shurikens hit the tree, which was impressive for a six year old. Akina turned her head and smiled at him, rubbing her face of sweat. They had been out here for a couple of hours. They did hand-to-hand combat, and Sasuke had gone gently on her, which was surprising. However, for someone of her age and height, she was doing better than expected. He was just doing this to see how well she did with weapons. It appeared that she was a natural, and Sasuke smirked, feeling proud of his daughter. _'Of course she's doing well,'_ Inner Sasuke chided him, _'She's an Uchiha after all.'_

"C'mon, Akina, let's go for an ice cream." Sasuke offered, and he gave a small smile at his daughters cheer. She gathered her shurikens, and put them in the pouch, then attached them to her.

"You're doing great." He told her, and put a hand on her shoulder briefly. Akina grinned up at him, her dark eyes shining with happiness. Sasuke felt his smile widen at her cheerful face.

Akina greedily licked her chocolate ice cream cone, while her father leaned back against the shade of the tree, biting gently on his own vanilla one.

"I wish school wouldn't have to start." Akina sighed, pulling her hair up hastily into a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes and her ice cream. Her father turned his dark eyes to her, and smirked.

"Why's that?" He asked, biting his cone. Akina blinked. He had finished his ice cream already? She chuckled, remembering how quick of an eater her father is.

"Cause it's so boring. I mean, I already know how to do half of the stuff they teach us, and I'm at the top of the class." Sasuke smirked, and ruffled her hair. Akina squealed indignantly, although the bright smile on her face told him that she really didn't mind.

"Of course you're number one," Sasuke scoffed. "You're an Uchiha." Akina smiled, and bit her ice cream, feeling the coldness against her hot tongue. That's right. Akina sat down next to him, and sighed.

"School is long, and boring." She pouted. "And it takes away time for you and me." Sasuke chuckled.

"That's alright. I'll be picking you up at the end of the day, so you don't have to worry." Akina smiled, nibbling on the last of her ice cream cone. Once she was done, she leaned her head against her father's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and together, they watched the people pass. For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Sasuke felt content. He looked at his daughter, who was dozing lightly. He kissed her forehead. Who knew that one little girl could change him so much?


	8. Happy Birthday Akina

1**Chapter 8: Happy Birthday Akina **

**A/N- Oh...my...god...In total, I have 70 reviews (huggles you all and hands out bags of cookies) Mmmmkay, I'm doin this early on, which I practically never do, but what the heck. **

**Dante Asakura:** Eventually, yes, Akina will find out. If she ever met Itachi, he might kidnap her, which would be bad. Sasuke would kill him rather brutally (sweatdrops) However, in this story, Sasuke killed Itachi finally. Sorry to all Itachi lovers, I think he's cool too, but his death is necessary. Sorry!

**Fullmetalschick:** Okay, Sakura doesn't have Sasuke's last name. She is still Haruno, because she and Sasuke never got married. For the sake of this story, I decided to change Akina's last name because of Sasuke being who he is. He does want to ressurect his clan, that was one of his goals. It would be pretty much useless if he had a daughter, but her last name wasn't his.

**Dazzling Cherry Blossoms:** I know, it killed me inside to write Naruto like that. Literally, after I finished that chapter, I was sitting there banging my head on my computer desk going, "Stupid...stupid...stupid." Ehehe... I'm sorry that you cried, but I'm happy that I sparked emotion in you . An authoress loves that! I've read stories that have made me cry too, so when people do that, you know that you're doing a great job. Don't worry, it's mostly the males that are mad at Sasuke. See, Ino and Hinata aren't mad at Sasuke. In the later chapters, I'm sure I'm gonna have somebody move in with somebody. Never fear!

**.Fallen.Lunar-** Sakura's still in love with Sasuke (I can see why. All the hot guys are either gay or are anime characters. Besides, there's just something about those bad boys that make us girls go crazy) Although you are incredibly right, that would be pretty hilarious. I think in the manga Sakura almost punches Sasuke. 307 it is, I believe. Not sure.

**StrugglingArtist:** Welcome to the Naruto fandom! Thank you so much, that really means a lot to me! Hope you're satisfied with the rest of the fics you read. I remember when I first got into Naruto. Gosh, that was fun . Enjoy the rest of the story!

**The Assassin of the Night:** Don't worry. Eventually, everyone will get over it, after seeing that Sasuke does have a heart after all.

**SasuSaku453:** Really? Interesting... I'll think about how to do it. Don't worry, Akina's Sharingan will come eventually. Oh, and I really hope that my cousin and I kinda talking back and forth didn't scare you . She's Invisible, and I was Melissa. And yes, I really did hit her, but on accident, cause there was only one chair, and I mess up more with typing if I'm standing! Hope you like the story!

On August 24th, Uchiha Akina bounded out of bed and raced downstairs. There, her mother hugged her.

"Happy birthday baby!" She said, and the little girl smiled.

"Thanks, mom." She said cheerfully. Normally, she was always happy around her birthday, but this time, it was extra special. Her father was finally there to celebrate it with her. Speaking of which...

"Where's dad?" Akina asked, looking around as if the raven-haired man would pop out. Sakura chuckled.

"He's probably still asleep."She said, and her daughter pouted cutely, then smiled evilly. Sakura knew all too well what that smirk on her face was.

"I'm gonna go wake him up!" She declared, then rushed upstairs and grabbed the set of keys her mother had given her. On the keychain was also the key to her dad's apartment. Running out of the house, Akina smiled at all of the people she passed, even though it was early.

The obsidian-eyed girl opened the door quietly and snuck through the house, her inner self chuckling. She crept into her father's room, and he slept on unawares. She smiled down at his peaceful face. However, she shrieked loudly when she felt arms hoisting her up. She glared down at her father's laughing face.

"That, daddy, was TOTALLY not fair." She pouted. Her father shrugged his broad shoulders, smirking.

"Akina, I was not a shinobi for nothing. I knew you were here the minute you opened that door." He told her, laying her down next to him. She snuggled against his warm body, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Happy birthday." He told her quietly, and she smiled.

"Thank you." She whispered back. He reached over to the nightstand, and pulled off something, and handed the young girl a silver-wrapped packaged. She accepted it with a smile, thanking him.

She gasped at the gift he had given her, and beside her, her father turned a slight shade of red. It was a long, thin silver chain. On the chain was a small heart encrusted with diamonds that sparkled brilliantly with the light shining off it. To put it simply, it was beautiful.

"I-I don't know what to say." Akina stuttered, her eyes still looking at the necklace.

"Do you like it?" Was that...nervousness she detected in his voice? Could he honestly think she could hate it?

"No, dad, I think it's the ugliest thing I ever saw." She said sarcastically, but the grin on her face let him know she was joking. A small smile broke across his face

"Alright, turn around so I can put it on you." He commanded, and Akina did as told. She smiled as she felt the cold metal against her warm skin. Her grin widened as she heard her dad sigh and get up, stretching. He was only wearing grey flannel pants, and she saw his muscles widen. However, she frowned when she saw how many scars adorned his chest and back. He noticed, but Akina kept quiet, and decided not to mention it. She didn't want to get her father in a bad mood, especially today.

"C'mon, I bet you're hungry. I'll make us some breakfast." He offered, and the dark-haired girl nodded and hopped off the bed, smiling brilliantly. She followed the male into the kitchen, and sat down and watched him make breakfast, a content smile on her pale features. Her father had overdone himself, and it looked like they were having a feast. Akina ate quite a bit of it, then leaned back and sighed once she was done. She really didn't feel like moving she was so full. Her father walked into his room, and came out, dressed in his normal clothing.

Yawning, the girl watched through half-lidded eyes as he cleaned up all the plates. After he was done he turned to her, smirking.

"Let's go, Akina. I'm sure your family will be over your house and waiting to give you presents." He said, standing beside her chair. She got up and silently slipped her hand into his. He was too used to this to make a fuss.

"Dad, they're your family too." She told him, and he turned his shocked eyes to her innocent ones.

"They don't hate you." His daughter said quietly, still looking up at him.

"I doubt they ever hated you. I think they were just hurt. But now, you're forgiven." Sasuke smirked, and walked, tugging on her hand, mulling over her words.

On the way to her house, people greeted Akina cheerfully. She thanked all of them with a smile. Some even bowed to Sasuke, and he gestured his head at them in return. After all, today was his daughters birthday. He could at least attempt to be polite.

Finally, they reached her house, and Akina ran inside. Sasuke could only guess from hearing her shrieks of laughter and giggles that there were people there. He smiled gently as he heard her happy laughter ringing in his ears, then once again became the stoic Uchiha that everyone knew.

Sakura smiled at Sasuke as he came in.

"Oy, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled, while Akina was sitting on the rug and furiously ripping off wrapping paper like the child that she was.

"Dobe." Sasuke greeted back, giving a nod to Shikamaru.

"Hey Sasuke." Ino said, smiling.

"Hello, Sasuke-sama." The Uchiha male was surprised that Hinata no longer stuttered. He supposed Naruto was the cause of that, because most of the time, she stuttered around him.

"Daddy look!" Akina squealed, the male turned his gaze to her, eyes softening. Everybody noticed, and they smiled, especially Sakura. She could tell that he really loved Akina, and it made her heart swell. She grinned widely as their daughter proudly showed her new gifts to her father, who inspected them all with a nod, asking which present was from whom. Akina got up got up, and declared she had to change. The adults were chatting amongst themselves, and the girl went upstairs to get out of her pajamas.

Sakura jumped when she heard Sasuke's smooth voice.

"Morning, Sakura." The smirk on his face was familar, and she smiled.

"Good morning, Sasuke. Wake up nicely?" She mimicked his actions, and the man above her scoffed.

"Please. I heard her coming the minute she put the key in my door." Sakura giggled.

"You'd probably wake up if the air degrees dropped, Sasuke, you're so jumpy." She teased, and the handsome man's smirk widened.

"You can never be too careful." He reminded her, and she nodded.

"You know, ever since you came back, you've been talking a lot more." She told him quietly, not looking at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't say anything.

"Before, it'd be a miracle if anyone could get you to say more than five words."

Sasuke smirked. It was true.

"That's all in the past." He reminded her. She looked at him, surprised. That was a very...unlikely Sasuke thing to say. Then again, he hadn't been acting like himself lately. She supposed that was all their daughters doing. Sakura felt her cheeks tint as Sasuke continued to look at her.

Even after being away for so long, having been Orochimaru's apprentice and killed countless people, he was still handsome. If anything, he had gotten better looking over the years he had spent away from them.

"Okay, I'm done!" Akina announced cheerfully, successfully tearing her parents gazes away from eachother. She noticed, and raised an eyebrow, a smirk on her face. Sasuke felt his lips twist into one himself. She had gotten that smirk from him. He felt so proud.

"ANYWAY, mom, dad, they're gonna take me out. Don't worry, I'll be back before dark." The dark-haired girl told the two, and her parents nodded.

"I'm gonna get going too." Sasuke said, and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, and Akina. Stop by my house after you come here." His daughter nodded, and Sasuke walked out the door.

Akina grunted as she fumbled with the doorknob. However, the gifts in her hand kind of made it impossible. The door swung open, and she fell forward with a shrill scream of surprise. Hands caught her as a couple of the gifts fell to the floor. Above her, Akina heard her mother chuckle. She huffed, and began to pick up some of the fallen presents.

"Not funny." She muttered in a sulky voice. Sakura laughed harder.

"You know, you sound like your father." She giggled, and against her will, Akina grinned.

"That's a compliment." She said to the pink-haired medic-nin.

"Speaking of which, he wanted to see you, remember?" Sakura told her.

"I'll carry your gifts upstairs, you'd better hurry over to his house." Her emerald eyes sparkled, and her smirk told Akina that she knew something her daughter didn't. Nodding, Akina rushed from the house.

"Hi dad."She greeted him cheerfully, and he smirked. Night was falling on the village of Konoha, and lightning bugs flashed around them.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand, and tugged her away from the house. Confused, Akina followed him (not that she had a choice) until they reached their destination. She gasped, and her father smirked, dragging her over to the woollen blanket spread out on the grass.

"A picnic under the stars..." She whispered, looking around in awe.

"Sit down and enjoy the view." She did as told, still glancing around.

"I hope you're hungry." Sasuke said lightly, pulling things from the picnic basket. Akina nodded, and giggled.

"Dad, for your food, I'll ALWAYS be hungry." She told him, grinning. Her father said no more, and instead, ate ravenously. Akina leaned back and gazed at the heavens, finished with her food. Of course, Sasuke had finished before her, and had been thinking deeply about something, gazing out into the distance.

Akina tugged on his shirt sleeve, and he turned his dark eyes to her. She offered him a gentle smile, and gestured next to her. Taking the hint, he laid down beside her. All was quiet for a little while.

"Look, dad, the North Star." She said quietly.

"Hn." Sasuke said, looking at where his daughter's gaze was currently located. He smiled gently. The North Star always pointed you home (or so it was said) and he had a feeling he knew why Akina pointed it out.

"Daddy! Look! A shooting star!" Akina squealed.

"Make a wish, Akina." He whispered quietly, and she closed her eyes and held her breath. Sasuke almost laughed and how childish she looked, but luckily he kept it in. His body tensed slightly as she placed her head on his shoulder and cuddled into his warmth, but then he relaxed.

"What did you wish for?" He whispered to his daughter, not wanting to break the comfortable silence. He felt her smile against his shoulder.

"I didn't wish for anything, I was just closing my eyes." Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, and even though she couldn't see it, Akina laughed. Perhaps she knew that that would be his reaction, so she added more to her previous statement.

"Daddy, why would I wish for anything? You're here, and there's nothing more than I could possibly want." With that one sentance, every bad thing Sasuke ever did seemed to vanish. He wrapped an arm around her, and kissed her forehead. Akina yawned cutely, and buried her face even further into the crook of his neck. The dark-haired man smiled at the sky. Somehow, everything he ever wanted was right here, underneath the twinkling stars.

**A/N- Oh man, I am SO SORRY for the wait! I just had a lot of stuff going on! (bows) Anyway, my uncle just died, which is kinda sad. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't worry, my little faithful duckies, I'll be updating a lot more frequently. After all, Monday (tomorrow) I'm going to Christina's (Invisible1withnofaith, AKA my awesome cousin/beta) and she'll be whipping me into updating. Oh, and I've gotten a lot more reviews, so I'm gonna put some down here too. Sorry, be patient with me! **

**Pinksakurablossom:** Nope, not the end. I plan on having maybe four or five more chapters, perhaps even more. I'm not sure how I'm going to end it, though. If I get enough reviews (or if Christina comes near me with sharp, pointy objects) I'll make a sequel. It won't be as long as Surprise, though.

**Angel of Depression**: If you're gonna draw a pic of Sasuke and Akina, may I see it? I'd really like to see how you interpreted the two of them leaning against that tree licking ice cream. You can send it to me at Please draw it (begs) Hehe!

**Sakura5584:** No, I'm sorry to say he won't. Although Akina will be learning more about her uncle in later chapters!

**Uchiha/Haruno**: I get what you're trying to say, don't worry. I know, I haven't really been focusing anymore on the relationship between Akina and her mom, and I'm really sorry about that. It's just that I'm trying to repair the relationship between Sasuke and Akina first before I mention Sakura. Although there will be more SasuSaku fluff in the upcoming chapter!

**Uzumaki Enko:** Don't worry, I will be adding more chapters. That's okay, so long as you're enjoying the story, I don't care (although I really would appriciate it if you reviewed this chapter, or any other future chapters, because I'll be updating quickly over the next week, probably)

**mtm123:** Oh my god, you get an entire bag of cookies! Thank you so much for pointing that out, I wasn't even thinking about that. So how about this, if I ever mention Yumi again, I'll make her 2 years _younger_ than Akina, so Ino would have been 17 when she gave birth to her. I just mentioned her as a passing character, which is why I got her age wrong, I guess. Thanks for pointing that out, I never would've caught that otherwise

**Xplodiak**: Kyle, shut up, I know where you live too. If you like the story so much, then review my 8th chapter too. Hehe, don't worry people, I know this kid really well, so I'm not being rude .

**Anyway, I guess you guys really don't care about Sasuke being kinda OOC. Good, I'm trying my hardest to keep him IC, although not as much as he was when everyone was genin. Time does change people, so Sasuke is more kinder, although only around the people he trusts. Otherwise, he's still the stoic Uchiha Sasuke everyone (well, ALMOST everyone) knows and loves. Enjoy the chappy!**

**Invisible–JEZZ MELISSA! You took forever...meanie! But I still get to read this chapter before anyone else! lol MUAHAHA!** Ttyls...


	9. Revealed past

1**Chapter 9: Revealed past**

Akina yawned, pulling on her clothes and glancing angrily at her clock. She shouldn't be up, it was only 7 am! Grumbling to herself, she headed downstairs, where her mom sat at the kitchen table, drinking some tea. Sakura smiled at her sulky daughter, who plopped down in a chair across from the pink-haired woman.

"I hate school." Akina grunted, and Sakura laughed, handing the girl a bowl of cereal. She ate it unhurriedly, trying to prolong the time she would have to go to school. Hearing a deep chuckle, the two turned their heads to see Uchiha Sasuke leaning against the wooden frame of the kitchen. "Good morning, dad."Akina greeted, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Not ready to go back to the Academy?" He asked nonchalantly. His daughter gave him a look, and his eyebrow went even higher.

"Morning, Sakura." He said, turning to the older female. Akina dropped her head and pretended to study her cereal, grinning at her mother's blush. She knew her parents were attracted to each other. Now, how to get them to admit it...

"Good morning, Sasuke." The medic-nin greeted back cheerfully.

"Ready to go, Akina?" Her father inquired, turning to face her. Akina nodded, and got up. She kissed her mother on the cheek goodbye. "Bye, mom. See you at the end of the day." She said quietly, heading over to the male Uchiha. Sakura waved at her daughter, and smiled at Sasuke. She almost fainted when he repeated the notion. The two exited the house, and Sakura grinned to herself, then got up and headed to her room. She had work today, and she had to get ready for it, no matter how much she didn't want to go.

Akina shifted her backpack, muttering angry words at her teachers. Sasuke smirked, and pretended not to notice, although he was amused. He never remembered being this hostile towards going to school... Then again, Akina was her mother's daughter. She got her looks from Sasuke, which meant the raven-haired girl obviously had a fanclub.

Sure enough, the minute the two got there, Sasuke was pulled away from Akina by males. He almost growled at how much attention his daughter was getting, but then calmed down. It would not go down well with Tsunade-sama to hear that he had been roasting little seven year old boys because they were eyeing his daughter and invading her personal space. Then again, she looked like she was about to do the same...

Grabbing her hand, Sasuke quickly dragged her away before the girl had a chance to murder the male species. She ranted about how much she hated them as the two lounged easily underneath a tree.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, only slightly listening to her as he watched with narrowed eyes at the boys that looked like they were about to pounce on Akina.

"Akina!" A girl cried out, and his daughter stopped mid-speech and squealed. "Ayame!" A girl with long brown hair and bright green eyes headed over, and the two hugged. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling left out. He quickly squashed those feelings.

"Oh, dad!"Akina said, turning to face the male. "This is my best friend, Ayame." She looked at the other girl. "Ayame, this is my dad, Uchiha Sasuke." Ayame shoulder's tightened, but she bowed to him regardless.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Uchiha-san." She greeted. Sasuke sighed. "Please, call me Sasuke." He told her, and the emerald-eyed girl nodded. Akina saw some of her other friends, and headed over to them, leaving Sasuke and Ayame all alone.

"I know my parents hate you, but I'm going to see for myself how you act."She told him quietly. "I have absolutely nothing against you, and I don't care what my mom and dad say about you. Akina doesn't trust people very easily, and I could tell from the way she reacts around you that she trusts you. Obviously, you're not as bad as my parents make you out to be." Sasuke gave the girl a tiny smile, an obvious rarity, and Ayame knew it.

"That actually means a lot to me, Ayame." He told her. The girl smiled, and bowed again as the bell rang.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sasuke-san. I'm sure we'll see each other again." She hurried off. Akina rushed over, and she grabbed his shirt, pecking him hurridly on the cheek.

"Bye daddy, I've gotta go. You're picking me up for lunch, right?"Not waiting for an answer, she ran towards the building, leaving a blushing Sasuke behind.

Sasuke watched Akina eat hungrily, chomping down on the white rice. He was leaning against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. He had already finished his lunch, and was waiting for his daughter to do the same. Finally, she wiped her mouth with a napkin, and smiled at him.

"I guess I'm ready to go back to that place." She said, hopping off the chair. They were at Ichiraku, and surprisingly, Naruto wasn't there. "Aunt Hinata is pregnant again." Akina told him, as if reading his thoughts. "Also, Uncle Naruto is in Hokage training. He's going to be there for a couple more weeks until Tsunade-sama gives him the title of Hokage." Sasuke smirked, remembering a twelve year old Naruto yelling that when he got older, he was going to become Hokage, so that everyone would respect and look up towards him.

Sasuke walked back to the Academy with Akina silently, both lost in their own thoughts. Akina reluctantly said goodbye to her father, who merely said "Hn." and walked away. On his way back to his house, he wrestled with his conscience. **(A/N- _Italics_ are conscience! Basically, Sasuke is thinking to himself. Regular is him thinking.)**

_I know you saw Akina looking at the picture of the family..._

Hn.

_If you don't tell her, then she'll find out her own way. Wouldn't you much rather prefer her finding out from you rather than a stranger?_

She won't push the issue, so I don't have to tell her.

_She's a seven year old girl! Of course she's going to be curious and find out! She's the smartest in her class. She'll find out, mark my words, and when she does, it won't be pretty..._

She won't over react. She told me herself she doesn't care about my past.

_You can't keep it hidden forever, you baka. She cares, she just won't admit it._

I won't keep it hidden forever. Besides, you just called yourself an idiot.

_No, I'M the sane one here. You're the idiot. _

_Exactly. Tell Akina before it's too late._

"I hate school."Akina mumbled, clutching at her bag, which was filled with books. Who cared about the history of Konoha? They had learned that twice already! Unsurprisingly, her father was silent, which didn't really bother the raven-haired girl. It was later in the day, and the two were walking back to Sasuke's house. Said person was lost in thoughts, wondering how he could tell Akina that her father murdered their uncle, who had previously slaughtered their whole clan.

"Dad? Something the matter?" Snapped out of his thoughts, the obsidian-eyed man looked down at his daughter and shook his head slowly. She looked exactly like him, except that she had longer hair. It was a painful reminder of his past before Itachi killed their whole family. Akina sighed, and slipped her hand into his. He unconciously squeezed it, and that was when she knew something was bothering him. However, knowing the male, he wouldn't want to reveal it until the time was right. So she had to be patient and wait for it.

"So, how was school?" Sasuke asked, trying to tear her mind away from him. That worked. She continued to rant about how much she loathed school, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts. All he had to do was nod in the right places and he was home free.

"Anyway, mom won't be getting home until late, so can I sleep over?" She asked cheerfully, and Sasuke's insides froze. Shit! She would see the pictures, which would lead to questions he couldn't answer. Still, he could tell Akina he'd tell her at a later time. _"Coward!" _ Hissed his inner self.

"Sure." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. Akina squealed in happiness, but other than that, not a sound was made. He quickly opened the door and ushered her in. She sat down and threw down her backpack, glaring at it and rubbing her stiff and sore shoulders.

"Dad, I'm hungry."Akina complained. Her father made his way to the kitchen and muttered,

"Sure, sure. When are you NOT?" Unluckily for him, she heard it, and her glare intensified at his direction.

"Why don't you study, and I'll make us dinner." He grunted, taking out a frying pan. Heaving a sigh, the raven-haired girl did as told. She really didn't want to, but you just don't say no to Uchiha Sasuke. He also happened to be her father. So there was absolutely nothing she could do except what he said. However, nobody said she couldn't shoot him looks in between her studying...

"If you're done burning holes through the back of my shirt, Akina, dinner's ready." She jumped, and blushed hotly. They ate quietly, and Akina went back to her studying, while her father cleaned up.

"Alright, I think that's enough. After all, you do have to go to the Academy tomorrow." Torn between joy at not having to study and anger at the mention of school, Akina got up and stretched leisurely, rumpling her silky black hair and yawning. She only just caught the pair of clothes her father threw at her, and glared at the Uchiha prodigy. He simply shrugged and smirked at her.

"Get better reflexes." He told her. Grumbling under her breath and shooting daggers at her father, she went into the bathroom to change. Coming out, she went into her dad's room and plopped down on the futon next to his bed. He walked in, wearing black boxers and the same color shirt. "Ready for sleep?" He asked her, smirking. She glared at him, and he chuckled, turning off the light. "Night, Akina." He told her.

"Night, dad."She replied, and the two fell asleep.

Sasuke glanced at his daughter in amusement. She was slumped over the table, and appeared to be asleep. He knew it was early, but honestly!

"Akina, get up." He ordered, and she looked at him blearily. He sighed, and placed a plate of scrambled eggs in front of her. "Alright, I'm going to go get your clothes from your mother. Stay here and eat." He walked towards the door, then poked his head around the corner. "And don't fall asleep!" With that, he left his apartment.

Groaning, Akina lifted her head from the table once more and looked around. Even though the dark-haired girl was only half-awake, she smirked mischievously. Her father hadn't wanted her to look at the pictures. However, he wasn't here now, now was he...?

Getting up, she picked up the nearest picture. Who were these people? It was a man with his arm wrapped around a dark haired woman. The two were smiling, and seemed perfectly happy. Next was a teenager that resembled Sasuke, but he had two lines going from his tear-ducts. Standing right next to him was a small boy around her age, and Akina realized with a jolt of shock that he was her father. Well, when he had been smaller, anyway. That must mean that these people were her dad's family. Why didn't he ever talk about them, though?

Moving on, Akina saw the same picture her mom had on her dresser. She kept on going, and saw a picture of her Uncle Naruto, and her parents. Sakura had her head laying on Sasuke's shoulder, and he was glaring coldly at the camera. Naruto had that same bright smile on his face, and held up the peace sign.

Chuckling to herself, Akina moved on, then frowned. This was also a picture of her father, but there was something wrong with it. It was just him, and he was leaning against a wall. However, his eyes were red, and there were three dots for pupils. He was staring at the camera, and Akina gasped. She now knew what was wrong. She knew Sasuke had been a ninja for Konoha village. Therefore, why was he wearing a Hidden Village of the Sound forehead protector.

Feeling, rather than seeing, her father getting too close to the house, Akina sat down and immediately began to shuffle the eggs into her mouth. Her father nodded in satisfaction at the fact that she was eating. He handed Akina her clothing, and told her to go get dressed or else they would be late. She did as told silently, and came back outside. Sasuke frowned at her quietness, but didn't say anything about it. Perhaps she was only half awake.

Akina frowned, tapping her fingers on the desk and looking around at her sleepy classmates. Her sensei was so boring, he was putting most of the class to sleep. Glancing at the clock, her inner self cheered. It was almost time for lunch. Just a couple of more minutes, and she'd be free for an hour. She stared at the clock, willing that big hand to move faster. She was so focused on the clock that she jumped when the lunch bell rang, shrill in her ear.

She gathered up her things, watching out of the corner of her eye as her sensei left the room.

"Hey, Haruno!" Glancing up at the sound of her name, Akina sighed. It was one of the really mean girls, Fujumaki Hitomi. (A/N- Eyes. Hitomi means eyes. Oh, her eyes are going to be purple.)

"Uchiha." Akina muttered to the girl. "My last name is Uchiha, Hitomi." The other girl dismissed it with a wave of her hand, and Akina felt her blood boil at how rude Hitomi could be.

"That only makes it worse." She smirked, and Akina watched her cautiously as Hitomi moved forward, a smirk on her lips. "After all, the Uchiha name shall forever be stained with blood, and is no longer respected."

"What are you talking about...?" Akina asked, unwilling to be lead into the trap that she knew was laid before her. Hitomi's eyes sparkled with a cruel delight.

"You mean you don't _know_?" Akina shook her head, still staring at the girl with a wary look on her face. Smirking, Hitomi picked the raven-haired girl by her collar. Akina yelped. "Your father is a murderer." She hissed in the girls face. Akina glared at Hitomi.

"What do you know, Fujumaki? My dad is NOT a murderer!" She declared angrily, and Hitomi smirked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Well then how come your father murdered his brother? How come your father slaughtered innocent people? People that had been our age." Akina didn't answer, and Hitomi dropped her. The obsidian-eyed girl slumped to the ground, trembling. "Face the facts, _Uchiha_. Your father is a KILLER." With that said, Hitomi left.

Shaking and crying, Akina grabbed her bag and rushed out of the classroom. It was a miracle she made it out of there alive, what with being blinded by tears.

Suddenly, someone caught her, and a concerned face swam into her vision. Establishing that it was her father, Akina cried harder, and grasped onto his waist with his hands. Feeling slightly numb, Sasuke ran his calloused fingers through her hair, wondering what had gotten Akina so upset.

"What happened?" He asked, holding her face with both hands and kneeling before her. Akina hiccuped, and blurted out what had happened in the classroom between her and Hitomi. Sasuke felt his hands tighten, and saw Akina wince at the pressure. He sighed.

"Sorry." He muttered. Akina nodded, accepting it.

"Dad..."She said hesitantly. "Did you really kill your brother?" He didn't answer her, and Akina felt a fresh wave of tears threatening to fall. "Did you kill innocent people?" Silence was her answer, and she ripped away from his arms, tears now spilling from her eyes, but she made no move to stop them. She shook her head, and ran away from him. Sasuke watched her, and could only think, _'Akina, I'm so sorry.'_

**A/N- Alright people, another chapter done! **

**Invisible-I've cut her off from her rambling...WHY THE HELL DID YOU STOP THERE!**

**A/N- Please ignore Christina, she hasn't taken her meds today (looks over nervously at her) Anyway, I promise, fluff is in the next chapter! I just thought there was too much fluff between the father-daughter relationship of Akina and Sasuke, so I decided to throw some angst in there, just for good measure. Anyway, answers to your reviews, and please don't kjll me! I promise SasuSaku fluff next chapter!**

**2supersmart: **Thank you so much.

**Tiffanylicis**: Soon enough, be patient

**Struggling Artist:** The plot is Sasuke coming back and him trying to fix his relationship with everyone. So far, this is happening slowly. Be patient, more fluff is up!

**Whitest Angel of the Coldest Night:** Soon, don't worry. The next chapter is going to be the ultimate fluff between Sasuke and Sakura!

**Keiana: **Of course. Sasuke loves Sakura, he's just too stubborn to admit it. Hehe, and we all know Sakura still loves Sasuke.

**Kami: **Yes, next chapter will be SasuSaku fluff

**Angel of Depression:** If you can't reach me at my e-mail, you can always put it on your profile... Anyway, try one more time. Lover: Yep. Like I said before, SasuSaku fluff coming up next chappy!

**A/N- Anyway, to the people that didn't know, all the InuYasha stories are Christina's, and the Harry Potter and Naruto stories are mine. (Melissa) Oh, and if you guys really really love me, then you'll review Christina's stories! Review and I promise I'll update really fast! NOW GO REVIEW! Oh, and I feel like my one-shot, Time, isn't getting enough love. So review Christina's stories, review this chapter, and review Time! **


	10. Sharingan

1**Chapter 10: Sharingan**

Akina took deep breaths, trying desperately to calm herself down. Huddled underneath the shade of more than four-dozen trees, she tried to ignore her stomach rumbling. Kami, she was hungry. She hadn't exactly planned on not eating lunch. Then again, she hadn't planned on _anything_ that had transpired that afternoon.

Wiping at some rogue tears with the back of her hand, Akina glanced around her. She didn't know where she was. All she remembered was running away from her father. The dark-haired girl felt a pang of sadness.

'_Fool! Your father told you he murdered before! Did you think he was joking?' _Her inner self scolded. Akina remembered him saying so, and now the guilt was overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her watch and yelped. She had ten minutes to get to the Academy before she was late!

Rushing out of the forest, Akina breathed a sigh of relief. She was only a couple of minutes from the Academy. It appeared that the Fates did pity her a tiny bit. Then again, they should. It was only mid-day and already she was upset.

Sighing, Akina rubbed the back of her neck in frustration, and then blinked when she felt cold metal. 'The necklace.' She thought to herself. Her other hand reached up and unhooked the clasp. Akina stared dejectedly at the diamond necklace, which was twinkling innocently in the sunlight. She sighed.

She gently wrapped the precious gift in some spare bandages she always kept with her. Akina didn't think she could wear it at the moment. She sighed once more, carefully placing it in her crammed bag. It was in a apart where her heavy books couldn't touch it, because she didn't want to get the necklace to get crushed.

Akina skillfully avoided Hitomi's smug gaze, and instead busied herself by diligently taking notes on what her sensei was saying, which was the history of chakra.

"Akina?" The obsidian-eyed girl looked up, startled. Her sensei was standing right above her, staring at her with worried eyes. "Class is over." Akina blushed and mumbled an apology. "Akina, is something the matter?" The older female inquired.

"No, sensei, why would something be wrong?" Akina lied. Her sensei's answer was to point to her notes. Except…they weren't notes. Akina had drawn a battlefield that was littered with corpses. One lone figure stood, and it looked eerily like Uchiha Sasuke…

On the side, there were little notes on chakra. Akina sighed, and began to pack up. "I'm sorry, sensei." She muttered. "I just have a lot on my mind. I promise it won't happen again." Her sensei nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

"I understand, Akina. After all, we've all had our off days. I'll forgive you, seeing as how you're a model student. You also probably got more notes than any of your other classmates did." She offered Akina a grin. The dark-haired girl repeated the actions, and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Thank you for being so understanding, sensei." Akina said sincerely, and bowed. "See you tomorrow." With that, said hurried out of the building. As a reflex, she looked around for her father. She sighed, and started to walk, her heart feeling heavy. Of course he wasn't there. Why would he be? Akina was upset at him, and Sasuke knew this. Not wanting to go to her dad's apartment, and not wanting to go home, the dark-haired girl decided to go to another house. She knocked on the door, and a familiar face opened the door.

"Akina?" Naruto asked, slightly in shock. His niece offered him a small smile.

"Hi Uncle Naruto." She greeted. "May I come in?" The blond nodded, and opened the door wider for her to step through.

"Here, why don't you come with me into the living room? I was just making some tea, and you look like you could use it." At this, Akina nodded wearily. Just thinking about all that had happened today gave her a headache. She sat down, and placed her bag on the floor next to her. Her uncle returned and handed her a cup of tea, which she gratefully took.  
Naruto watched her through narrowed eyes. It was obvious that something was troubling Akina. She was not the kind of girl who would hide underneath her bed covers, but she now looked like she was ready to do just that. "So tell me what happened." For the second time that day, Akina spilled what happened. After she was done, she looked down at her pale hands, which were clasped and shaking.

"Your father isn't a bad man, Akina." Her uncle said quietly. The girl felt tears prick her eyelids, so she quickly shut her eyes. "As for killing your uncle, Itachi was worse. He slaughtered the Uchiha clan, except for Sasuke, without a second thought. I'm not sure what Itachi said to your father, but I'm sure it was along the lines of getting the Mangekyou Sharingan, which requires you to kill your best friend." Akina looked at her uncle in shock.

"But you're his best friend!"

"Yes, I am."

"He didn't kill you."

"No, he didn't. Which is why your father isn't a bad man. He couldn't kill me, somebody who had always been weaker than him. He himself had been weak. You are only a true killer when you murder people close to you. Sasuke didn't include Itachi as his brother, so he killed people, but he wasn't a real murderer."

Akina looked down. "But he killed innocent people. Kids, even." Naruto frowned, and took one of her hands.

"You don't know that, now do you?" Akina raised her head, eyes wide. "The only way to find out is if you ask your father." Nodding, the obsidian-eyed girl thought about it. That made sense. She had blindly believed Hitomi. But then again, what did she know? She had assumed what her parents had said was true. Then again, Akina herself was guilty of that crime.

"Now go to your father's apartment." Akina nodded and smiled at him, kissing her uncle on the cheek.

"Thank you, Uncle Naruto." He merely smiled at her. Akina scooped up her bag and hurried over to her dad's apartment.

Upon entering, she noticed that he wasn't home, and felt slightly dejected. However, she decided that she would wait for him. Yawning, the girl laid down on his comfortable couch. She decided that a small nap wouldn't hurt. The events today had worn her out, and slowly, Akina fell asleep.

Sasuke knocked on Sakura's door, shoving his hands in his pockets. Knowing his daughter, she wouldn't be here. However, that isn't whom he came for… Bright emerald eyes peered into his dark ones, mouth open in slight shock. "Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered.

"Akina isn't here."

"I know that. I came to talk to you."

"Oh, okay. Come in."

And so, Sasuke came in, and stood there, slightly dripping. It had started to rain ten minutes ago, and he was wet. Sakura handed him a towel, and he ran it through his jet-black spikes. He then placed it on the couch, and sat down. Sakura sat down next to him, looking at him worriedly. "Do you want some tea?" At this, Sasuke nodded. Sakura got up, and came back a couple of minutes later with two cups of tea. "Alright, what's the matter?" The male breathed over his cup, and then drank some of it to wet his chapped lips.

"Akina found out about my past." Sakura dropped her cup, and the tea spilled, but she ignored it.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke looked at her in shock. She was asking him if he was OKAY! Shouldn't she be worried about their daughter? After all, hearing that your father killed your uncle was a shock. Sakura smiled wryly. "Akina's a smart girl. She'll understand, although I'm sure she'll understand more if you explain it to her. Knowing her, she'll either be at Ino's, Kakashi's, or Naruto's. So you don't have to worry." She placed a slim hand over Sasuke's larger one. He stared at her, ignoring his thumping heart. "What did Akina find out, and from whom?"

"She found out from a girl, Hitomi, in her class. Apparently, Hitomi told Akina that I murdered my brother and innocent people. Kids even." Sakura was quiet, her thumb absentmindedly stroking Sasuke's hand. He noticed it, though, and it was making him feel things he hadn't felt in a long time. He licked his dry lips. "But that's not the truth. I never killed kids. Only enemies of Orochimaru, which were mostly assassins. Never any kids, and Orochimaru understood this." He told her, referring to the snake sannin who had wanted to take over his body. Sasuke had killed him before that could happen.

"Then Akina deserves to know that, so that she doesn't think you killed just for the hell of it." Sasuke stared at her. Sakura colored slightly, and took her hand off his, getting off the couch and picking up the cup. Sasuke found that he missed her warmth already. Getting up, the pink-haired woman went into the kitchen and put her cup in the sink. She came back and sat back down next to Sasuke, but she didn't put her hand over his again.

"Look Sasuke, you're a good person." He snorted, but allowed her to continue. "You refused to kill children, didn't you? Besides, the past is something we can't change. You know this." At this, Sasuke nodded, and looked at Sakura.

"Even though I murdered people? Even though I betrayed Konoha for power, for Orochimaru?" Sasuke asked quietly, hanging his head now. It was lifted, however, when he felt pale hands caress it and bring it eye-to-eye with her own. She searched his eyes. "Yes, Sasuke, you're still a good person. You killed Orochimaru, and you returned to Konoha. Not only that, but you have a great relationship with our daughter." She whispered, her thumb stroking his jaw.

Sasuke didn't know what made him do it. Perhaps it was the love he saw in Sakura's eyes, perhaps it was because she made him feel human again. Perhaps it was because he thought he might share her feelings. Whatever it was, Sasuke suddenly found his lips crashing onto Sakura's. She didn't hesitate to join him, as the raven-haired man suddenly found himself on top of the medic-nin, licking her lips for entrance. She opened her mouth willingly to him, and his tongue slipped in, doing battle with hers. As Sakura's hands ran gently through his soft hair, Sasuke found himself growling in his throat, bringing the pink-haired woman closer. At this action she moaned, and Sasuke found his pants had become uncomfortably tight. He pulled back, trying desperately to catch his breath. He closed his eyes, and leaned his forehead on Sakura's own.

"I've gotta go." He whispered huskily.

"I know." She murmured, and her next action shocked him. She leaned up, and captured his lips in a sweet kiss before leaning back, eyes gouging his own for a reaction. Sasuke gave her a small smile, and kissed her again before slipping off the slim body below him.

"Akina is probably at my apartment. I'll look for her there, and explain everything to her there." Sasuke said, trying to straighten his rumpled clothes. Sakura watched him with dark eyes.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it Sasuke?" She asked sadly. Sasuke knew what she was talking about, but he didn't say anything. Sakura was talking about the night Akina was created, the night he had finally opened up a little bit to her before he left Konoha for Orochimaru.

"Yeah, it does." Sasuke whispered, wishing he could ban his thoughts of a Sakura wriggling beneath him, moaning his name. He wished he could ban his inner self along with it, muttering that it could still happen. He could take her right here and now, and they BOTH would enjoy it. But Sasuke had to go find Akina, and explain everything to her. "I'll see you later." He told her lowly, and left Sakura still lying there on the couch, clothing slightly wrinkled and lips puffy from his possessive kisses.

As Sasuke entered his apartment, he smiled. Akina was lying on his own couch, breathing deeply and evenly, and letting him know that she had been asleep. He really didn't want to wake her up, but Akina had to know what was going on. She did look rather innocent, though, lying there with her dark hair spread out against the pale pillows of his couch.

"Akina…"Sasuke muttered, going over and shaking the seven year old. She opened her obsidian eyes blearily and yawned, stretching.

"Hi dad. What time is it?" Her father looked at the clock.

"A quarter to six."

"Oh, okay. I've only been asleep for an hour and a half, then."

Akina watched him carefully, and a smirk spread across her face. "You went to go see mommy, didn't you?" He looked at her, shocked, although his face had tinted to an almost tan. Akina guessed that was his way of blushing. "Am I going to have a little brother or sister?" She asked innocently, and her inner self was grinning evilly at the sight of her father choking on phlegm.

"W-what?" He managed to say, trying to remember how to breathe properly. Akina merely grinned, and his eyes narrowed at her.

"No, Akina, you ARE NOT having a younger sibling yet."

"Are you going to propose to mom?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"You love her, don't you?"

Sasuke thought about it. Did he love Sakura? He knew had had missed her terribly when he was with Orochimaru. Every time he had gone to sleep, he didn't do so before thinking about her. Otherwise, he couldn't fall asleep. He had tried on numerous occasions to do so, but he had stayed up quite late before finally imagining her face, thus being able to sleep. Was that love?

"Dad?"

"What, Akina?"

"Is what Hitomi really said true?"

Her father sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, a true sign that he was frustrated. "Some of it was." He finally confessed. "I did kill my brother, but he was a bad man." Akina nodded.

"I know that." She uttered quietly, and her father grunted. She guessed that meant he had previously known that she knew this. "Uncle Naruto told me how my Uncle Itachi killed your entire family, except for you. They don't know what he said to you, and I'm not going to pry and ask what he said. I just want to know if you ever killed an innocent people."

"I highly doubt an assassin was an innocent person. But yes, sometimes, I was required to kill a villager in order to survive. Otherwise, I myself would have died. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Akina shook her head, and Sasuke placed his hand on top of her black head. "I wish I could change my past with the Sound village, Akina, but I can't. It did more harm than it did good, but it did help me in some ways." His daughter looked at him, curiosity in her dark orbs. Sasuke smirked.

"During the chuunin exams, a man called Orochimaru bit me on the neck and gave me a curse mark. In order to get rid of the mark, I had to kill the one who originally gave it to me. However, Orochimaru wanted my body. He wanted to take it over, and make it his own." Akina didn't say anything, but she did stare at her father in shock. Sasuke chuckled, albeit darkly. "Yes, there are truly evil people out there, Akina. Orochimaru and my brother were one of them. I had to protect your mother and your uncles by becoming stronger, so I went to Orochimaru, made him think I was his pawn, and then I killed Itachi, and then I killed him."

"Is that it?" Akina asked, and her father raised an eyebrow. "That's your entire past? So far, all of it has been bad." Sasuke chuckled.

"No, before Itachi killed our entire clan, and sometimes even after, I had a good time." Sasuke sighed. "There was a time where I wanted to be just like my brother. He was so powerful, so handsome, and everybody loved him. I had looked up to him." The raven-haired man's features darkened, and he shook his head. "After I found out what my brother really was, I became cold. That never deterred my fan girls, however much I wished it would. They would always chase after me, and I groaned inwardly when I had learned that one of them would be on my team." Akina laughed.

"Mom?" She gasped. "My mom was one of your fan girls?" Sasuke nodded.

"You bet she was. Every single girl, and even some married, lusted after me." He laughed lowly. "At first, she was kind of useless. Then, we learned that she had amazing chakra control. I admit, I was slightly jealous. Then, I realized just how good at fighting she was after the chuunin exams. She had to protect both your Uncle Naruto, and me, and she did so admirably. She cut off her long hair, which she was unexplainably proud of." He didn't mention the fight between Naruto and him before he left, nor the on at The Valley of the End.

"Hey dad?"

"What?"

"Remember your red eyes? What were those?"

"Sharingan."

"Sharingan?"

"Yes, Sharingan. It's a trait, passed down in clans. I know the Uchiha bloodline has it…and so does your Uncle Kakashi." Akina looked at him in shock.

"Uncle Kakashi has it?"

"Yes. Ever wonder why he has his Konoha Forehead Protector at such an odd angle? That's to protect his Sharingan."

"So you have it?"

"Yes."

"Do I have it?"

"Yes."

"Oh. How do I get it?"

Sasuke chuckled. She was eager. **(A/N- Alright people, I actually don't know how you activate your Sharingan, so I'm just kinda gonna go with the flow, and what I've seen on t.v. So far, I haven't seen Sasuke activate his Sharingan in the American anime books.)**

"Okay, in order to activate your Sharingan, you have to be feel a powerful emotion. Anger, wanting to protect someone you care about, that will all help your Sharingan. Now, not only that, but you have to WANT to activate it." Akina nodded, absorbing all that he had told her.

"Does that include self-protection?" Sasuke nodded.

"Yes, it does. It just has to be a strong emotion."

"Okay. So, can I activate it?" Sasuke chuckled.

"No, not yet. Using your Sharingan uses up a lot of your chakra, and you first have to learn how to harness your chakra. I know you're not learning that yet, but you will soon. I doubt you won't do well with that, because of how well your mother harness' hers." Akina pouted, but brightened up. "Dad, can I see your Sharingan?" Sasuke laughed, and shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. Just don't go shouting around that your father has a Sharingan." Nodding eagerly, Akina kept silent. She watched keenly as her father's face tightened, and suddenly his eyes changed from the endless pools of black to red, with three wheels settled on his eye. "These will spin, if I get really angry."

"Can you suppress your Sharingan?" Sasuke was kind of surprised at her question, but decided to answer it anyway. He thought about it.

"I suppose you can… I think I've suppressed it a couple of times, but I probably did so without realizing it." He said slowly. Akina nodded, and smiled at her dad.

"Do you have any books about the Uchiha clan?" She asked, and again, she surprised her father.

"Yeah, we do. I guess you want to read all about the infamous Uchiha clan, huh?" At this, Akina nodded excitedly. Sasuke chuckled, and went into his room. "Wait right there. I'll be back soon." Akina waited patiently, grinning. Not only was she going to get a Sharingan soon, but also she was going to learn all about her dad's family's history. Also, her parents had deep feelings. If she pushed hard enough, she could have them confessing their love for one another in a month.

"Alright, here you go." Sasuke handed Akina two books. She looked at him in confusion, and he elaborated, "One of them is the Uchiha history. The other one is filled with our private jutsu's." The female's eyes brightened considerably, and she kissed her father on the cheek. He raised an eyebrow.

"Bye daddy, I'm going to go study!" She said, bouncing on her heels eagerly. Sasuke chuckled and shook his head.

"Alright, just don't flaunt those to your mother _just_ yet." He called after his daughter, who had already run to the door. She poked her head around the corner, and grinned at the man.

"Of course dad. See you later." Sasuke laughed loudly after she closed the door. Shaking his head at her antics, he looked at the clock and decided to make some dinner.

**A/N- All right, was that chapter long enough for you people? I killed two birds with one stone. Not only did I put in the fluff (was that enough?) But I also explained the whole Sharingan. Sorry to all the people who were hoping that Akina would learn her Sharingan in this chapter, but I promise I'll put it in the next couple of chapters. Perhaps the chapter after next. Don't worry my little duckies, I promise there will be more SasuSaku fluff in the upcoming chapters. Although, I think I may have corrupted Christina. When she was reading the make-out part, she was shaking her head and couldn't say anything except, "Melissa, you're a bad girl. You're a VERY bad girl." Anyway, I want to know, if I wrote a lemon prequel to Surprise, would you guys read it? It'll be really detailed, because that's how I write my stories. I mean, it won't be REALLY detailed, but lemon-ish. Oh, and I'm writing the sequel to You're my Only Hope, to all the people who requested I do so. Not only that, but I wrote a cute/funny little one-shot while I was having writers block. Bleh, I hate writers block. So I'll type up that little one shot soon, probably after I post this. Oh, and as a HUGE favor to me, would you guys PLEASE R&R Christina's stories? Hers are the InuYasha ones, and THEY'RE REALLY GOOD! SO GOOD READ AND REVIEW! Ja Ne! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! **

**Invisible- penis. Inside joke. Also boner. Lmao. Erm…loved the chap mel…now I need to update so fuck off…jk…ttyl---------**


	11. Merry Christmas

**Chapter 11: Merry Christmas**

Shivering slightly, Akina wrapped her scarf more securely around her neck. Next to her, Sasuke chuckled. His daughter glared at him, but didn't say anything about it. His normally pale cheeks were tinted with red from the cold, and he had his hands stuffed in his puffy jacket. Akina herself had one, only his was black, and hers was red.

"Dad, I'm cold." She complained. Sasuke grunted, but didn't feel the need to elaborate. Rolling her eyes, the dark-haired girl huffed, hoisting her backpack closer to her. The wind whipped her hair around, making her ears cold and her teeth chatter. Without warning, her father grabbed her backpack and swung it over his shoulder. Akina blinked in shock. "Um, okay." She muttered, and kept on walking through the foot of snow.

Finally, they got to the Academy, and Sasuke handed Akina her backpack, bending down. She kissed his frozen cheek, and then hurried into the warmth her school offered. Shaking his head, Sasuke jammed his hands back into his pockets, and trudged back to Sakura's house. Damn, it was cold out. Contrary to what others may believe, Sasuke didn't really like the cold.

Shaking the snow off his boots, he set them by the door. He also shrugged off his jacket, and went to go sit down on the couch, waiting for the pink-haired woman to come out of the kitchen. She did so within five minutes, two steaming cups of hot cocoa in her hand. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her act, and Sakura laughed. "I swear, sometimes I think you and Akina are the same age." He muttered, causing her to laugh. She sat down next to him gracefully, handing the obsidian-eyed man his cup.

"Kami, you look frozen." She said, and Sasuke gave her a look. She stuck her tongue out at him. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Childish." He muttered. Sakura laughed again, and blew gently on her chocolate. Sasuke repeated her actions.

"I can't believe it's December already." She said quietly, and he looked at her. "I mean, it feels like just yesterday that you came back." Sasuke gave a tiny smile.

"You know, I saw Akina before I saw you." Sakura stiffened, and the man next to her nodded.

"At first, I didn't know who she was. Then, when she stepped into the light, I realized just how alike we looked. Also, she told me you were her mother. It took me three seconds to realized that all it had taken was one night for me to have an heir." Sakura smiled.

"I have videos of me being pregnant, and of me giving birth to Akina. Would you like to see them?" Sasuke nodded, and the medic-nin got up. The male looked at her choice of clothing approvingly. She was wearing a cream colored sweater that hugged her curves nicely, and a pair of jeans that showed off her well-developed hips. He was distracted by a flash of light, and looked at the TV as Sakura plopped down beside him.** (A/N- _Italics_ are video)**

_Sakura smiled at the camera, and waved. Even though she was sitting at a table, it was obvious to see the lump that would be Akina soon. Sakura was glowing. "Say hi, baby. Say hi to Aunt Ino." Feminine laughter filled the room._

"_That's right, baby Haruno, say hello to your future Aunt Ino." At this, Sakura's smile slipped slightly, but was plastered on once more, albeit fake. "Anyway, Sakura, what are you going to do?" At this, the pink-haired teenager shrugged. _

"_Stop trying to change the subject, Ino. How are you and Shikamaru doing?"_ Sasuke couldn't see it, but he bet anything Ino was blushing. So this must've been around the time Ino and Shikamaru got together. Interesting.

"_Shut up, Sakura. You know we're doing just fine. He's still being a lazy bum," Ino sighed in contentment, "But I love him. Shocking, huh? Never thought I'd fall for him."_

"_Yeah, but I'm glad you did." A voice growled, and Sakura launched forward and grabbed the video camera, giggling. She swung it around, and Ino and Shikamaru were kissing passionately. _

"_Awwww, you guys look so CUTE." She squealed, and at this, the two broke off and glared at her. "Kami, you guys even give me the same LOOKS. I think you two need to spend a LITTLE bit of time away from each other." They were still staring at the camera. Sakura laughed nervously. "Erm, anyway, how about we go see the baby's room?" The video camera was shown around, proving it was Sakura's house. _When the picture was shown on the living room, Sasuke noted how different it looked. There weren't any pictures of Akina, but pictures of Sakura, and people he assumed was her parents and family.

_There was a crib in the room, rocking chairs, a changing place, a playpen, and tons of stuffed animals and books._ _Sakura giggled as she looked around. "The walls are a deep blue, because it might be a boy, but I hope it's a girl. Besides, the baby will be an Uchiha." A sniffle was heard, and a slight hiccup. "Not that the baby will ever know his or her father, but it's still nice to think of him or her as an Uchiha." The video once again scanned the room. Suddenly, someone called Sakura's name. The video camera swung around, to face a tear-stained Sakura, only there was a sad smile on her face. "Anyway, people, I've gotta go shopping with Shikamaru and Ino. I've gotta go get more Maternity clothing, because I have one more month of pregnancy, and then the little one will be born." She smiled at the camera. "Sasuke-kun, if you ever see this video, which I highly doubt but whatever then know that I will always love you." _

The screen went dark. Sakura got up, blushing slightly. Sasuke didn't ask her if what she had said back then was true. He knew it was, and he was grateful. Sakura popped in another video. "Get ready for this. This is when I'm giving birth to Akina." Sasuke grimaced.

"_NARUTO, YOU'D BETTER GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE!"_ _A very sweaty Sakura demanded, and then gave a shrill scream of pain, throwing back her head and moaning. _

"_But Sakura-chan, how many times will I get to see you giving birth?" Came Naruto's voice. "I don't care." Sakura growled, then grabbed Naruto's shirt, bringing the camera closer to her. "GIVE ME PAINKILLERS, DAMMIT! GIVE ME SOMETHING!" She shrieked loudly. Naruto stumbled back, but still close enough to see Sakura. A doctor was positioned at her feet, while Kakashi sat in a chair, gripping her hand. _

"_Okay, Sakura, I need you to breath."_

"_I AM BREATHING! DAMN YOU ALL!"_

_Kakashi winced as she wailed and gripped his hand even tighter._

"_No, Miss Haruno, you are hyperventilating. I need you to take deep, calm breathes. Then, I will need you to push."_

_Sakura did what the doctor said, gritting her teeth._

"_Alright, you're fully dilated. I need you to start pushing on the count of three. One…two…three."_

_Sakura began to push, and grunted while doing so. Sweat trickled down her brow, and her hair was plastered to her forehead. _

"_You're doing well. Start pushing again please. One…two…three."_

_Screaming from the pain, she did as told. More sweat dribbled down. _

"_Almost there. This will probably be the last time. Give me a big push, and it'll be over."_

_Throwing back her head, Sakura pushed with all her might, gripping Kakashi's hand. There was a loud crunch, and then two wails pierced the room. The doctor that had been tending to Sakura was now holding something bloody. "Please get me a towel." He commanded calmly to one of the nurses, who rushed off to do his bidding. He looked at Kakashi. "Would you like to do the honors of cutting the umbilical cord?" The jounin nodded, and got up. He severed the umbilical cord, just as the nurse came back. The doctor began to clean off the bloody thing, which turned out to be a baby. He gestured to the nurse, and she began to wipe off Sakura's face, which was drenched in sweat. "I'm happy to say, Sakura, that you have just given birth to a healthy little girl. Congratulations." The doctor said, and handed her the baby, which had been wrapped in a pink blanket. _

_Sakura cooed. "My baby…"She whispered, cradling the blanket to her chest. "She has Sasuke's eyes." She said, while some people swam into vision. Ino and Shikamaru were holding hands, and Kakashi had resumed his post by the bed, although he no longer clutched Sakura's hand. His own had probably been broken by Sakura's fierce hold._

"_She's beautiful, Sakura-san." Hinata complimented. Sakura turned to face the white-eyed teen, and smiled at her. _

"_Thank you. I think I'm going to name her… Akina." _

"_That's a nice name."_

"_It defiantly fits her."_

"_Especially seeing as how you're her mother."_

"_Alright, everybody, time to give mommy her rest. You can come back tomorrow." The doctor ordered, shooing them all out. The video camera caught sight of a happy Sakura holding baby Akina before the door shut behind them. _

"So that was when she was born…"Sasuke whispered, and Sakura nodded slightly.

"I remember when my water burst, and how freaked out I was." She chuckled lightly. "In the end, it was all worth it. I have more videos, but I don't feel like watching them. I have pictures, though, if you'd like to go see those." Sasuke hesitated.

"Alright, but afterwards, I have to go." Sakura nodded, and got up once more, coming back with a photo album. She flipped open to the first page, sitting back down. As Sasuke looked at the pictures, he smiled. There was Akina asleep in her crib, head turned to the side and sleeping peacefully. Then she was having her first birthday party. Her second birthday, and her fourth, fifth, and sixth. It then showed Akina holding her first shurikan in her chubby hands. She couldn't have been more than four. The next picture showed Akina on her first day of school with various people. She was smiling happily in each picture.

Finally, Sasuke closed the photo album. "Those were nice pictures." He complimented, and Sakura smiled, although her cheeks tinted slightly.

"Thanks." She whispered. "I took most of them."

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"What ever happened to your parents? I saw them in a couple of pictures with Akina, but she was really young."

Sakura sighed.

"They died after Akina was two." She whispered, and Sasuke put his hand on her knee. She looked at him, surprised.

"I'm sorry." Sakura nodded, accepting his apology. Sasuke got up, and cleared his throat to extinguish the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"Anyway, I've gotta go. I'll see you later, okay?" Sakura smiled, and got up. She got up and collected their empty cups of hot chocolate.

"Okay, Sasuke. I'll talk to you later."

Sasuke wandered around the shops, his hands clutching bags. Buying for Naruto hadn't been hard. All he had to do was buy him bags of ramen. He had bought baby clothes for Hinata. He also bought shurikens and kunais for Tenten, who had been at Akina's birth and in the pictures with his daughter. He bought Neji the same thing. For Kakashi, he bought him the entire series of Icha Icha Summer books (blushing while doing so) and for Ino, he bought some cooking utensils. He bought Shikamaru a telescope, so he could gaze at the stars more clearly.

Now, what to buy for Akina and Sakura… He had already gotten Akina something really expensive for her birthday. Sasuke bit his lip as he gazed at everything. However, this would be their first Christmas together. He wanted to get her nice things. The same applied for Sakura. His keen eyes caught something, and Sasuke smirked. He bought the object, and shopped around for Sakura. He hadn't gotten her anything expensive, considering he had come back after her birthday.

All right, well that took care of Sakura. Smirking, Sasuke headed back to his apartment. He had a half-hour until he had to go pick up his daughter, which would give him significant time to do what he had to do and hide all the presents. He quickly opened his door, and began to wrap the presents in stupid little festive wrapping paper. He thought it was stupid, but it was kind of required. Therefore, he wrapped the gifts. Sighing, he looked around. He would just put the presents in the closet, and then cover them with a jutsu. It wouldn't last very long, but it would last long enough for Akina not to see them. So, the Uchiha male put the gifts in the closet and muttered something, while doing some hands seals. Nodding his approval, he got ready to brave the cold again.

There wasn't much talking between Sasuke and Akina as they made their way back to Sasuke's apartment. "Kami, I'm glad today was the last day." Akina said, shivering. Today had been the last day before they went on winter break, arriving the second day of January.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered, digging his hands deeper into his pockets to give them more warmth. Akina's backpack was strapped securely to his back, while the owner chatted away happily. Once they stepped inside the warm apartment, they began to shed the heavy and wet outer garments. Still shivering, Akina plopped down on the couch.

"Want some tea?" Sasuke offered, and the dark-haired girl nodded, teeth chattering inside her head. Suddenly, her father threw a fleece blanket at her. Akina immediately drew it around herself, clutching the object like it was her only lifeline. Sasuke came back a short while later with the tea. He placed it on the table across from them, and sunk into the couch. He sipped at his tea, trying to draw some warmth from it.

"Hey dad?"

"Hn."

"Wanna play some chess after we warm up."

"Aa."

Giggling, the female drank her tea slowly, savoring the temporary warmth the liquid provided her with. Sasuke repeated her actions, also drinking his tea with care. It set their tongues on fire, but the two didn't mind. Finally, her father collected their cups and put them on the sink. "Ready to loose, dad?" She asked the dark-haired male. His only reply was a smirk and that Uchiha men do NOT loose.

"Checkmate." Akina called out cheerfully in a sing-song voice. Her father grunted angrily as he began to put away the pieces. Akina laughed. "Don't worry dad, it's okay to loose." She said brightly. Sasuke ignored her and continued with what he had been doing before.

"Want dinner before you leave?" Sasuke asked, speaking finally as he put away the chessboard. Akina nodded, and her father got up and headed into the kitchen. The obsidian-eyed girl watched his lazily as she spread out on the comfortable couch and yawned. Sasuke shook his head. "Shikamaru junior." He muttered, and Akina glared at his back.

Finally, Sasuke came over and handed his daughter a plate. She raised an eye at him. He shrugged, picking up her feet and sitting down, then placing them on his lap nonchalantly. "I see that you're rather comfortable, so I decided that for tonight, we're going to eat at the couch instead of the table."

Akina shrugged. "Whatever." She said breezily, and began to eat. No matter what her father cooked, it always tasted delicious. Her mom was an okay cook, but she would never be like Sasuke.

Fifteen minutes later, the two were done. Akina groaned, and glanced at her father pathetically, giving him a sad look. "Daddy…" She dragged out, and the man eyed her cautiously. "Can I sleep over?" Sasuke sighed. "Mom won't mind." She added eagerly, watching him carefully to gauge his reaction.

"I really don't care, but I don't think you've been spending enough time at home. Therefore, that's where you're going." Akina groaned again.

"But daddy…"

"No."

"I wanna-"

"I said no."

"Pleeeease?"

"No, Akina."

The dark-haired girl sighed, and pouted, crossing her arms childishly. Sasuke rolled his eyes and got up, grabbing both their plates and placing those in the sink next to the cups. He began to bundle up, then glanced over at his stoic daughter. "Either you put on your coat and other things, or I'm throwing you over my shoulder and you're going to your mother's house dressed like that. Don't think I'm joking, either. I'll do it too, and you know it." Blinking slightly, Akina got up. Sasuke nodded in satisfaction. Good, he thought that would do the trick.

It was currently December 24th, and Sasuke was sprawled out on his couch, yawning every now and then. Near him and lying on the carpet by the table, Akina was playing Solitaire. "I'm bored." She said, sitting upright. Sasuke felt inclined to agree with her. It was snowing outside once more, and Akina was looking out at the grounds enviously. "C'mon dad lets go outside." She begged imploring.

"No, absolutely not." Sasuke said, and Akina looked at him with big, dark eyes. Sasuke shook his head.

"How do I get myself into these kinds of things." Grumbled the Uchiha male, as he watched his daughter plop down onto the freshly fallen snow, making a snow angel while giggling to herself.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt something wet and cold smack his cheek. He turned astonished eyes to Akina, who was sitting there laughing hysterically. "Did you… did you just hit ME with a snowball?" Sasuke growled, and Akina laughed harder.

"Yeah, I think I just did. What're you gonna do, huh buddy?" She teased. Sasuke merely bent down and began to pack the snow in his hand into a ball. Akina shrieked, and got up and began to run. Sasuke followed her, snowball in hand. It was time for a little payback.

"I can't feel my toes." Akina muttered, wrapping the blanket more securely around her numb body.

"Don't get too comfortable." Sasuke warned her. "We just came in here to get something, and then we'll be right back out." Akina glared at him, but got back up and started putting back on her boots. Sasuke, meanwhile, went into his room and collected the gifts, putting them in black bags so that people wouldn't know where he had gotten them.

Akina eyed the bags, and Sasuke could tell she itching to grab the bags and rip open the wrapping to see what was inside. Smirking, Sasuke opened the door. "Coming?" He called to his daughter, whose eyes snapped up to his. She nodded, and they went on their way to Sakura and Akina's house. When they got there, they stripped of their outer clothing and sat down. Sakura offered Sasuke a cup of tea, and he took it gratefully. He sipped at it, glad for the sudden rush of warmth. He handed Sakura the bags, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Open the bag." He grunted, and she obliged. Her eyebrow shot up higher when she saw some wrapped presents. "There are two for you and Akina alike. The rest are for everybody else."

"Like…"Sakura asked curiously. Sasuke shrugged.

"The dobe, Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Ino, Shikamaru, and Kakashi." Sakura smiled gently at this, and placed four presents underneath the lavishly decorated tree, which was already crowded with presents.

"Um, Sasuke…" Sakura began nervously, and Akina perked up beside Sasuke. The man himself raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to stay over? It would mean a lot to Akina…" She elaborated quickly. She didn't add that it would mean a lot to her too, because the raven-haired man probably already knew that. He mulled it over, still drinking the tea. Finally, he nodded, and Akina squealed and hugged him tightly. Sakura smiled faintly, and put her cup of hot chocolate in the sink.

Darkness finally spread outside, and Sakura got up and turned on the tree and turned off the lights. "Ooohhh…" Akina said appreciatively as she admired the glittering and glowing tree, shining brightly with all of it's multi-colored lights. Sasuke sat back, and Sakura came over and sat next to it, both of them enjoying the silence whilst sitting in awe over the Christmas Tree.

"Alright, Akina, time for bed." Sakura ushered, and their daughter groaned.

"C'mon mom, I wanna stay up with dad."

"You'll see him in the morning, sweetheart. Knowing you, you'll be bouncing out of bed at a quarter to five and waking him up." She grinned at Sasuke, who groaned at this prospect. Akina laughed loudly, and bade her parents' goodnight. The two stayed up a little bit longer, talking about what tomorrow would bring. Finally, Sakura gave Sasuke some blankets and pillows, turned up the heat to a comfortable temperature, and went to bed herself. Meanwhile, the Uchiha male made himself comfortable on the couch, and eventually fell asleep.

"DAD! C'MON, GET UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Sasuke grunted as Akina bounced on him cheerfully.

"Akina, off." He muttered. Ignoring him, she kept on bouncing. Unable to stand it any longer, he opened his obsidian eyes. As if this was some big accomplishment, his daughter squealed loudly. Sasuke groaned, and picked her up off his lap and settled her on the ground before sitting up. "Go wake up your mother." Akina flounced away, and Sasuke cracked his back and rubbed the back of his neck.

Akina returned a couple of minutes later with a half-awake Sakura, dragging her feet. "M-m-morning." She yawned, stretching her arms. Sasuke nodded in greeting, while Akina plopped herself cheerfully in front of the tree and began to rip away at the wrapping paper, squealing when she got something she liked. Sakura just shook her head as she came out with tea for Sasuke and hot cocoa for both her and Akina.

After some time, the dark-haired girl was sitting next to her parents, calmly drinking the hot chocolate and brightly discussing what she had gotten from everybody else. Sasuke almost shuddered. The girl was popular; there was no doubting that. She would also probably receive more gifts as the day went on. Akina hugged her father tightly for what he had given her (A book on maintaining your chakra and a black silk kimono with a silver dragon on the front) and she thanked Sakura for what she had gotten from her.

Sakura herself got up, and grabbed an assortment of presents. She handed some to Sasuke, and the rest of them were for her. Unlike his daughter, Sasuke took his time opening his presents. He had received a book of rare jutsu's from Sakura, shurikens and kunais from both Hinata and Naruto, more weapons from Shikamaru and Ino, he didn't receive anything from Neji, but he did get something from his wife, Tenten. She had stitched a shirt for him from his genin days, something he no longer wore. It was blue, with a high collar. On the back was the Uchiha symbol. Sasuke's eyes softened at the sight, and he carefully put that away. (Sakura, of course, did not mention that she had some in the attic. She wanted to keep those, but Sasuke did not need to know this).

Sasuke actually gave a genuine smile at what Akina had gotten him for Christmas. "I found them." She said quietly, as he flipped through the pictures. "I put it together with mom. She ranged it from Team Seven until now." Sasuke looked up at them.

"Thanks." He said, and the two smiled brightly. They knew it was rare to receive gratitude from the Uchiha male, so when it came, they knew he meant it.

"Akina, go get dressed and we'll have some breakfast. Then we'll be heading down to Naruto's." Akina nodded, and headed upstairs for a shower and then to change.

"I'm gonna go do that. I'll be back." He said, getting up. Sakura got up as well.

"But don't you want breakfast?" She persuaded, and he shook his head, putting on his boots. The female sighed and nodded, admitting defeat. Sasuke noticed this, and sighed. "Look, don't worry Sakura. I'll be back in a half-hour tops." He said quietly, zippering up his jacket and headed outdoors into the snowing grounds of a sleepy Konoha.

Sasuke returned, just like he said he would. He leaned patiently on the door. Akina was wearing a red turtleneck and black dress pants, and had her hair up in a bun, despite the fact it was snowing. She was currently tugging on her knee-high boots, zippering them up angrily.

Sakura was fixing her hair slightly, unaware of Sasuke eyeing her every move. She was wearing a green sweater that was tighter than the obsidian-eyed man would have liked, but all of the men there were married, so he didn't really have to worry. She too was wearing black dress pants, and these hugged her curves. She wore ankle boots, and Sasuke was looking at them, wondering if they'd be enough. There wasn't really much snow on the ground, but her pants might get wet. He didn't worry about Akina; she had bigger heels.

Finally, Sakura was bundled up in her puffy white jacket, and the three headed out. Before she knew it, Sasuke was in front of her, bending his knees slightly. Sakura blinked in confusion. "Get on." Sasuke ordered, and Sakura spluttered indignantly. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? Her inner self screamed with anger at Sakura not accepting.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't want your pants to get wet." He told her. Sakura meekly got on his back, ignoring how his strong hands gripped her lower thighs. Her face was probably as red as her sweater, but luckily for her, Sasuke couldn't see this. Grinning to herself, Akina hurried ahead of them, fingers wrapped securely around the bag that held the gifts for everyone else.

"Merry Christmas, teme!" Naruto shouted in Sasuke's ear the moment he opened the door. The Uchiha genius winced, and glared at the loud-mouthed blond. "Merry Christmas Sakura-chan and Akina-chan." He greeted to the two females. They both smiled at him.

"Merry Christmas Naruto."

"Merry Christmas Uncle Naruto."

Everywhere around him, people were greeting each other cheerfully, calling out Merry Christmas' to one another. Sasuke grabbed the bag full of gifts from his daughter, and placed them with the others.

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke-sama." Hinata said.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Sasuke!" Greeted Ino cheerfully. He simply nodded at her, and looked around. His eyes narrowed as he watched Rock Lee flirt with Sakura. He came over, and inclined his head at the bowl-haired man. Lee returned the gesture.

"I think Tenten was looking for you." Sasuke said to the other man, who hurried away to find his former teammate. Sakura glared at Sasuke.

"You and I both know that Tenten was NOT looking for Lee." Sasuke shrugged.

"I don't care. He was flirting with you. How many dates have you gone on with this guy anyway?" Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't see how that's any of your concern." She said coolly, and left to go greet somebody who had been calling her name. Sasuke gaped at her slightly before closing his mouth and glaring at Lee's back.

"Don't worry dad, she only went on two dates with him." Akina giggled, slipping her hand into his. She squeezed it, as if to reassure him. He squeezed back unconsciously.

"I'm not worried." He lied, and Akina laughed, but didn't reply. Instead, she waved at a couple of people. "I'm going out for a walk." She said, but her father shook his head.

"Not without me, you're not." He said gruffly. Akina giggled and nodded. The two strapped up, and headed out. His daughter skipped happily through the snow, only stopped by her fan boys, who handed her presents. Sasuke watched all of this with something akin to amusement on his face. After all, he remembered all too well having the same thing happen to him. Awhile later, the two headed back to Naruto's house, too cold to stand it anymore.

Akina squealed loudly as she ran around the house. Sakura shook her head, and leaned it back on the headrest. Sasuke sipped his tea silently, smirking. He was surprised they weren't at another party. The date was now December 31st, and in another hour it would be January 1st, the start of a new year.

"I can't wait!" Akina giggled, wrapping her blanket tighter around her. "You know, they say that if you kiss somebody on New Years, you'll be with them for the rest of the year, possibly even the rest of your life." She said wisely. Sakura blushed, and hushed her daughter. Akina shrugged and turned to the glowing tree, but not before shooting her parents a sly look.

A half-hour later, Akina seemed (if possible) even more hyper. Then again, this would the beginning for all three of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sakura spear a shrimp and eat it. A small drop of juice ran down her mouth, and Sasuke fought down the (frightening) urge to lick it.

"10 more minutes!" Akina cried happily. Sakura grinned, and the three waited patiently, all staring at the clock. "9…8…7...6…5…4…." Akina said, counting down the minutes.

"Come on, let's go wait outside." Sakura suggested, and they all geared up. Akina danced in the snow, the light from the inside making jewel patches on the fresh snow. Dozens of other families were waiting outside, and finally, it was 10 seconds until January 1st.

"10…9….8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Sasuke turned to Sakura, and his hands found their way to her cheeks. Sakura sucked in a breath.

"Happy New Year, Sakura." He whispered, before catching her lips with his own, while the fireworks ahead of them flashed multiple colors.

**A/N- So sorry for the wait! 11 pages! You people better be happy! Anyway, this might be my longest chapter yet! Wanna do me a big favor? Review both Christina's stories and mine! Pretty please? Hoped you enjoyed the chapter! More SasuSaku fluff on the way! **

**Invisible-erg. the wait was my fault cuz...idk**


	12. Falling Together

**Chapter 12: Falling together**

**A/N- Okay, once again, doing this early. Right now, I have a HUGE shout out to werewolfofkonoha. She and I have been emailing each other non-stop in the three days that I have been home, and she just provided me with a juicy piece of information about the Sharingan. I appreciate everyone reviewing me about it, but I'm sad to say that we all had it wrong, including me. Ah, oh well. Anyway, I'm really happy about all the reviews I'm receiving. Keep 'em comin! Oh, and I'll be doing answers at the bottom of this story, as usual!**

Akina smirked as she walked home with her father, whistling cheerfully. Sasuke was very disgruntled, and kept on glaring at some of the women who gave him appreciative looks. Didn't they see that he was with his daughter! Not only that, but Akina was holding tons of chocolates in her hands. From the fanboys, of course.

"I hope you're not going to eat those." He said, referring to her gifts. Akina gave him a weird look, and Sasuke sighed. "There might be a few smart boys who spiked those chocolates with a love potion." At this, the dark-haired girl burst out laughing.

"Dad, please. A love potion? We're seven!" She managed to gasp out. Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed at her.

"It doesn't matter. Girls were using that technique when I was your age." Akina carefully balanced some of chocolates into her one hand, and she made a nonchalant gesture with her free hand.

"Yeah, but that's girls. Unless I received chocolates from females in my class, which I did not, then I doubt males would even be smart enough to make a love potion. The guys all in my class sleep. I have NEVER seen one of them take a pen out and take notes. Ever." Sasuke grunted at this.

"I don't care. Don't eat the chocolates." Akina raised an eyebrow, and pouted slightly. However, her smile turned into a malicious grin. Sasuke eyed her warily, and wondered if he would learn to regret those last two sentences.

"Fine then, daddy. In order to make up for the chocolates I'm loosing, you're buying me some. This way, my chocolate will be free of potions." She smirked at him. "Unless you're into that incest stuff." The look of horror on his face was absolutely priceless. Laughing hysterically, Akina fell to the floor and started beating the snowy ground.

Finally managing to compose herself slightly, she clutched her ribs. Glaring at her, he kept on walking. Akina brushed the snow off her pants, and hurried up to him. Still chuckling slightly to herself, she didn't glance back at the fallen boxes of chocolates. Let some other poor girl fall in love with whatever random boy had given her the cursed candy. Although she highly doubted that the chocolates actually were spiked, Akina didn't want to take a chance. Her father was, after all, seldom wrong.

"Where are we going?'' She asked curiously.

"To go get you some chocolate." Akina smirked smugly. The two walked on, and headed into a tiny store that the mere smell drifting from it was enough to make Akina drool. Sasuke smirked at her reaction, and bought the girl a pound of chocolate. Grinning to herself, she and her father walked on, both heading to his apartment.

"So, dad," She began casually. Her father glanced at her warily out of the corner of his eye. He knew Akina well. She was up to something, he just KNEW it. "As you've noticed, today is Valentines Day..." She trailed off, biting off a tiny piece of the chocolate and eating it. _'What's her plan?'_ Sasuke thought to himself. "And I know you and mom have feelings for each other..." Her father said nothing, although he could feel a blush starting to tint his cheeks. "Therefore, dad, I expect a little brother or sister by November or December." Sasuke began to choke, and stopped.

Akina kept on walking, laughing inwardly. Oh, she was a bad, _bad_ girl. She couldn't help it though. Not to mention, her dad actually looked like he might be considering the possibility. Hmmm, interesting...

"Oh, and by the way, mom's favorite flowers are white roses." Akina called out to her prone father, still standing in the middle of street in shock. _'Hehehe._' Akina thought to herself. Akina was smirking to herself while she nibbled on her chocolate and did her homework at the same time. Her father sat right next to her on his couch, staring at the wall and obviously lost in thought. It seemed as if her words penetrated through that thick skull of his... Well, good. Akina was tired of their flirting.

She wanted to see her parents happy together, especially after having such a turbulent past. She knew her mom had been heartbroken after her dad had left. When Akina had been a little girl, she often wondered why her mom always faked smiles, and often looked out the window late at night for long periods of time, as if waiting for someone to walk through those gates. She now knew that Sakura had, in fact, been waiting for Sasuke. Akina smiled. She thought it might be time for them to go home, well, to her house.

"Hey dad?" Startled from his thoughts, Sasuke looked at her.

"Hn."

"I think it's time for us to go to my house."

"Aa." Akina smirked as she packed up her bag, and got ready to brave the cold outside. They walked to her house in silence, and both their hands were shoved in their pockets. It was too cold to talk, and Akina shivered slightly. She hated the winter! It was so...unforgiving and bitter. She smiled sadly. She guessed her dad was winter when he was younger. At least, as far as she could tell. Akina didn't know whether to be thankful or not that she knew him now, when he was a little bit warmer, or see the changes that he had made, the hardships he had gone through, in order to achieve it.

She had only seen glimpses of it, especially in those times when her dad didn't think she was paying attention, and she could see a flash of pain cloud his dark eyes. Regret was not something she was used to feeling, and she couldn't grasp how much it must torture him. He was trying to make everything better now, though, and it seemed like he was succeeding. Akina smiled gently, and slipped her hand into her fathers. He glanced down at her, an eyebrow cocked. She merely shrugged and smiled at him. He smirked, and his hand tightened around her own. They walked into Yamankas Flower Shop, and Akina struggled viciously to keep the triumphant grin off her face. To keep herself from chuckling evilly and rubbing her hands together in a self-satisfied manner, she called out cheerfully,

"Hi Aunt Ino." The blond-haired female smiled and waved back to them. Sasuke offered her a slight nod, and went back to roaming the aisles for some white roses. Akina casually walked over to her aunt, both of them inwardly snickering at one Uchiha Sasuke.

"You know, white roses can also mean friendship." Ino murmured to the dark-haired girl. Akina nodded wisely.

"You're right. Perhaps we should tell him this?" Akina asked, eyeing her father who was scowling. Ino laughed behind a pale hand.

"Hey Sasuke?" Ino called, and he turned to look at her, clearly frustrated by not finding the white roses yet. Akina couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up. He looked like a child that wanted a lollipop but was getting refused because it was almost dinnertime. Ino smirked, obviously on the verge of hysterical laughter herself. Her lips twitched into a demure smile.

"White roses can also stand for friendship, and I think you want a little bit more than that with Konoha's little Cherry Blossom. I'd suggest getting some Amarillo's." At her words, Sasuke's face slumped in obvious confusion. Ino chuckled, and went over to help the clueless man. Akina smiled. Amarillo was significant to beauty, and her mother knew this. Her aunt must've realized that her father might not, so she elaborated. Sasuke merely smirked, and walked up next to Akina. He went to pull some money from his pocket, but Ino shook her head and smiled at the Uchiha male.

"Oh no, Sasuke. This one's on the house." Sasuke blinked.

"Hn." He muttered. "Thanks."

"No problem." Ino said cheerfully, waving them goodbye as they exited the store. Akina fought back the urge to laugh. She could tell her father was nervous, so she put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Don't worry dad, I'm sure mom'll love it." She told him soothingly. Her father grunted, but said nothing more. It seemed like a few seconds later, they were standing in front of the Haruno's door. Biting back an evil grin, Akina opened the door and looked around cautiously.

"Hide the Amarillos. Mom's sitting on the couch." She muttered to her father, who did as told.

"Hi mom. Well, I'm going upstairs and study. Test tomorrow, you know?" She said brightly, and headed upstairs. Rushing quickly, she threw her book bag on her bed and sat at the top of the stairs, a mischievous smile on her pale features. This day was going to be incredibly entertaining, she could tell. Not only that, but she had perfect view of her parents, but they couldn't see her. Hehehe...

"Here." Sasuke muttered, thrusting the bouquet of flowers at the surprised Sakura. Then, she smiled at him, her eyes lighting up. She took the flowers, and set them in a vase near the door. Sasuke fidgeted, and Sakura stood right in front of him. They were looking each other dead in the eyes. Akina smirked, trying desperately not to go down there and push their bodies together. Stupid stubbornness!

"Sasuke, what're we doing?" _Well, _THAT caught him off guard.

"What?" He asked in his confusion. Sakura sighed.

"This, you, me, us. What're we doing?" Akina could tell her father was still confused, and rolled her eyes.

"You kiss me as if it's nothing. Where are we? Friends? Something more?" NOW Sasuke got it. He sighed, and out of frustration ran a haphazard hand through his hair. Sakura's eyes dimmed slightly.

"I...I care about you, Sakura." He admitted finally. Her mother frowned slightly. Akina tugged at her hair, and amazingly didn't throw her shoe at her father.

"I-I don't understand, Sasuke." Sakura said quietly.

"Can we start over?" Sakura and Akina's eyes widened. Sasuke was as stoic as ever, no nervousness detected in those dark eyes of his. He was totally serious about this.

"Are you...are you asking me out?" Sakura said in disbelief. Sasuke smirked.

"Hn. Maybe I am." Suddenly, Sakura smirked coyly, and clucked her tongue.

"You know, Sasuke, words mean nothing. Actions speak louder than words.'' Her father raised an eyebrow and coolly said,

"Is that so?" Without a warning, he grabbed Sakura's shoulders and crushed her lips to his. Both of them were unaware of their ecstatic daughter who was doing a happy dance on top of the stairs. Her inner self was screaming with joy that her plan was a success. Akina changed her mind. She was a very, VERY good girl. Snickering behind her hand, she settled down and continued to watch her parents, who had just pulled away from a heated kiss.

"If you're asking me out, then my answer is yes." Sakura said, licking her lips. Akina watched her father's eyes narrow at this action before he kissed her again. Deciding to leave them alone for the time being, she headed to her room. She needed to find a book for baby names; if she was going to help her parents pick out names for either her little brother or sister. Perhaps both. Akina felt giddy. Who knew playing matchmaker could be much fun?

"Hey dad? I think I'm gonna head over to Uncle Naruto's after school." Akina said cheerfully, too cheerfully, as they trudged through the foot of snow. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his daughter's odd behavior, but didn't say anything. Everybody was gonna find out sooner or later about his and Sakura's relationship.

"Has that Hitomi girl been bothering you at all?" Sasuke grunted. Akina shook her head. Not recently, but when she realized that her plan had backfired, she kept on hissing that Sasuke was a murder and deserved the right punishment, an eye-for-an-eye. For the most part, the obsidian-eyed girl ignored Hitomi. It would not do to start a fight in school, and so, Akina swallowed her pride.

Sasuke watched his daughter carefully, but couldn't directly gouge her reaction. So he just shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pant pockets. He couldn't wait for the nice weather to come back; it was too cold for his liking.

"Hey Akina!" A girl yelled out. Sasuke glanced at her and realized it was Ayame, the girl he had talked to the first day of school. The green-eyed girl hurried over and quickly bowed to Sasuke.

"Hello, Sasuke-sama. It's been a while." Sasuke nodded at her.

"It has." He said, and Ayame gave him a tiny smile before turning back to the other female.

"Come on, Akina, Mikoto-sensei wants us to help clean up her classroom." Akina nodded, then smirked and whispered something in Ayame's ear. Ayame's eyes widened before she smiled. She turned to Sasuke.

"Oh, and congratulations about finally getting together with Sakura-san." She said before bowing, and the two girls walked away giggling. Sasuke shook his head and walked away. She must have gotten the gossip gene from Sakura, because HE certainly never got that urge. They ought to have a book on the inner workings of the female mind; because that was definitely one book he wouldn't mind reading. Akina hummed to herself as she walked home cheerfully. Ayame walked beside her, and the two were talking brightly.

"So tell me what happened? You just told me that your parents finally got together, and knowing you, you had something to do with it." Ayame shot her a sly glance. "You were spying on them, weren't you?" Akina laughed and put her hands up.

"Guilty as charged." She giggled, and Ayame laughed.

"You're so bad, Akina. Now tell me what happened."

"Bossy much?"

"Nah, just eager." Laughing, Akina told her friend everything, from the hint to her mom's favorite flowers to her dad eventually getting Amarillos (with help from her aunt), to their kiss and Akina's happy dance. By the time they arrived at Naruto's house, Ayame was gasping for breath she was laughing so hard.

"That is so you like." She wheezed, and Akina giggled before bidding her friend goodbye. She knocked on the door and waited patiently. Minutes later, her uncle opened the door and raised an eyebrow, his mind immediately jumping to the worst conclusions.

"What happened? Did Sasuke hurt your feelings again? I'll KILL the teme!" He growled, his hands balling into fists. Akina sighed and placed a small hand over his larger one.

"Uncle Naruto, relax. I come bearing good news!" Naruto sighed, and ushered the girl inside the house.

"Hi, Aunt Hinata." She greeted cheerfully. Her aunt smiled at her.

"Hello, Akina." She replied. Naruto came over and sat next to the pearl-eyed woman, while Akina made herself comfortable on one of the beige chairs.

"So what's the good news?" Her uncle asked, throwing an arm over the length of the couch. Hinata sat back and placed her head on Naruto's shoulder, both of them watching Akina with interest. The girl smiled at their act. She really hoped she could see HER parents like that. Just the thought made her blurt out everything that had happened yesterday. The two listened with rising interest, until Akina finished with their kiss.

Her aunt had a smile on her face, and her eyes were shining with happiness. You could tell that the raven-haired woman was honestly happy for Sakura and Sasuke.

"Finally." Naruto muttered, sitting up. "It took the two of them long enough to admit their feelings for one another and get together." Akina fidgeted.

"Well, my dad never told mom he loved her..." She trailed off. Naruto shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. We all know he does. After all, he could've had ANY woman in this village to have his heir, and they would've been over the moon about it. So why did he choose Sakura, a girl who had been, at the time, weak?" Akina thought about this, a smile blossoming onto her face. Naruto watched her quietly.

"Sakura got underneath Sasuke's skin to the point where he hadn't realized he was falling in love with her. I was there, when your father first got back. Your parents had this big fight, and your father confessed that he had missed her." The blond laughed.

"You should have seen the stricken look on his face when he realized what he had just admitted. Your mother was so a part of his routine that when that routine was interrupted, he found out that he cared about her. He also cared about me, but I could handle my own. It was _Sakura_ he was always protecting, _Sakura_ he had finally opened up to,_ Sakura_ that he cared about more than he'd like to say." Akina giggled, feeling that giddiness that she had felt last night bubbling back into her. So much for the stoic Uchiha Sasuke, a man that had always been previously thought to be an ice-block. Who knew that all it would take would be one innocent girl to prove to be his downfall?

"Anyway, I'm gonna go share the good news with Aunt Ino and Uncle Shikamaru. Then I'll head over to Uncle Kakashi's." She waved to the both of them, still sitting on their couch. They repeated the gesture.

"I give them 6 months before they crack and Sasuke proposes." Naruto said with a smirk.

Akina was laying on her bed on her stomach, both legs bent and up in the air, eyes scanning through the words on the book in front of her. Now that her parents were finally together, she decided to flip through the books that her father gave her, containing info about the history of the Uchiha clan and their private jutsu's. The latter she would have to ask her dad about, because she would definitely have to be stronger in order to do most of these jutsu's. Her eyes strayed down to the word Sharingan, and she read with interest about the fact that every Uchiha has the ability to use their Sharingan eyes.

Thinking quickly, Akina smirked. Her parents were off together...alone...and had been for quite a couple of hours now. Perhaps she would have a younger sibling quicker than she anticipated... Tearing herself away from these thoughts, Akina bit her lip and thought of her Uncle Shikamaru, who was downstairs and probably sleeping. Could she count on that, though? And what would happen if she tried to activate her Sharingan? Would she be able to hold it, or will it only last a couple of minutes?

She sucked in a deep breath, and read on how to activate the Sharingan. Akina had seen her father use it, so it must not be THAT bad. Akina took a deep breath and relaxed her body, trying to get rid of her nervousness. According to the texts, not all Uchiha's are able to use their Sharingan, although all are born with it. **(A/N- all of the info about Sharingan doesn't belong to me. I got it off Wikepedia. Also, I don't own any of the Naruto characters. Well, except for their kids. Haha, I shall make them my slaves when I'm done with this story. Erm, anyway...) **

Akina also didn't know if she would be able to actually _use_ her Sharingan, because normally it first appears when the life of an Uchiha is in danger. She was obviously in no danger, so would it still work? She had to control her chakra in order to keep the Sharingan going, that much was obvious to her.

Relaxing, Akina did everything that the book told her to. **(A/N- Alright. I don't know how Sasuke feels when he gets his Sharingan, so I'm just going with what I think. If any of you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to review and correct me.)** Akina opened her eyes and blinked. She didn't feel any different... Was she supposed to? Did she even HAVE the Sharingan! This worried her, and she rushed over to a mirror. Akina almost screamed when red eyes peered back at her, with one wheel in the middle each. Wait, her father had three... why did she have one? Was something wrong with her?

Hurrying back over to her bed, Akina grabbed the book and read quickly. No, there wasn't anything wrong with her. It wasn't uncharacteristic for an Uchiha to have different tomoe in each eye, it depended on their strength. She was, after all, only seven. Which would explain the lack of three tomoe. Smiling slightly, she stopped the Sharingan **(A/N-However you stop it. No idea.)** and headed downstairs. Just as she had previously predicted, her Uncle Shikamaru was napping on the couch.

Giggling slightly to herself, Akina made a quick sandwich and grabbed a can of soda and headed back up to her room. Glancing at the clock, she smirked. Her parents had been gone an awful long time... Well, she wasn't complaining. The sooner she had a younger brother or sister, the better. However, they would have to marry first. Akina's smirk widened. The next few months would be fun.

Sitting down at her desk, the Uchiha female jotted down notes on how to have her father down on one knee by the end of the year. Glancing down at her ''mission'', Akina nodded in satisfaction. She once again glanced at the clock and sighed. She had to go to the Academy in the morning (sadly) and thus, she had to go to sleep.

Looking over her plan once more, the dark-haired girl got into her PJ's, turned off the light, and climbed into bed. These past few days had been...interesting, to say the least. And if Uchiha Akina had anything to say about it, things in Konoha would never be dull again. At least, not as long as she was around. Slowly, she fell asleep, and dreamed about cradles, bottles, and images of her mother holding a blanket with a little bundle in it.

**A/N- Tada! There you have it! Sasuke and Sakura finally get together (claps). I know everybody is like, YES! Hehe, me too. And for those idiots out there, Akina was dreaming about having a sibling . And yes, Akina finally got her Sharingan, and all on her own. Now, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I'm going away on vacation, and I won't be back until late August, early September. Even after that, I have High School, but I'll try and update just as often. Anyway, I've been e-mailing a couple of my reviewers, and they've given me some pretty good ideas for the next chapter. **

**So if you guys log out, just type in your name and e-mail in another review, and guarentee you'll be hearing from me. Oh, and I'm kind of disappointed that Smile didn't get as many reviews as I hoped. Feel like reviewing it and making me feel better? Okay, off to answer questions! **

**Odat:** Thanks! I'm glad you feel that way about Surprise. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

**Valcov:** If I get enough reviews, then I might make a lemon fic. Only if people will read it though.

**Angel of Depression:** Oh, I know ways it can get better. Akinaxfanboy . That will DEFINITELY make daddy mad. Hehe!

**SasuSaku453:** Ah, Richie, another faithful reviewer! Did this chapter amuse you? Now THAT is definitely some snickering and laughing, huh?

**Sakurafaves:** Hehe, glad you like the new Sasuke. Better than the ice cube Sasuke, huh? (Although they're both just as hot XD)

**Book-Manga-Freak:** Does this chapter answer your question?

**StrugglingArtist:** Eh, sorry. There was originally time skips, but I guess FFN messed that up.

**Sasuke Fanatic1: **There's a reason for that. I know, she was kind of a witch, but she was trying to get a jealous reaction from him, and see if she walked away, would he follow? Besides, she was talking to him, and Sasuke just kind of like, sent him away. Hehe, get it? I'm pretty sure she got that reaction from him

**Tiffanylicis:** They've kissed before (at least, in this story. If they kissed in real life, I'd die of happiness) Once, in Akina's room. Then, there was the make-out scene on the couch. And now this. Although I think kissing her on New Years Eve was more significant than the others, huh?

**So, that's it. Seeing as how I won't be home for a while (Cheers! I'll be away from my father! YAY!) Leave me some nice reviews to come home to? Oh, and if you guys would like (although only if you'd like, cause I know it'll be a little weird) you can also request me on my myspace. Just message me first and let me know you're a Surprise (or any other story that I've written) fan. You can find me at: **

www (dot) myspace (dot) com (slash) italianbabie91. **But obviously you have to make all the markings and whatnot . Not sure if it'll appear here. If that appears, yay! If not, that sucks. Anyway, I've rambled long enough. See you guys in a month! Ja Ne!**


	13. READ THIS!

**A/N-This is just a note. My cosin-the writer of this story (((Surprise))) Has been on Vacation and refuses to even begin typing her chapter. She says that it will be here on the 12th of Sep, but that's to long of a wait don't you think?**

Contact her at Fallen(underscore)Angel(underscore)fourteen(at)Yahoo(dot)com

**pester her until she starts typing! I can't get her to do it by myself and I know you people have been waiting for the chapter for a LONG time now! I've been emailing her-here's what she's been up to.**

**-WRITER-**So yeah, I'll try and update Surprise as soon as I can. I also have this little Fluff Collection thing I wanna work on, it's some songfics that remind me of Naruto. Hehe . But yeah, you have to update too Miss Christina!

**-WRITER-**Ehhh, bad news. Turns out I'm not coming up til the 4th. Sorry! But I'll try and update.

**-POSTER-**_WAAAAAAAAAA Poop...oh well. your readers are going to KILL you. Especialy ME!_

**-WRITER-**Well, they know I'm not coming home until the 4th. I put it in the 12th chapter of Surprise. Oh, I just bought a new 1 subject notebook so I'll start writing the 13th chapter, and then type what I have and more once I get home. Not only that, but I have to finish Homecoming . God, I wish I was coming home earlier, cause now it's gonna be hard as hell. Any ideas?

**-POSTER-**_AHHHH...FK I wanted to read more of your storY! I need to update your other story...reminding me of which-WHERE THE FK IS THE NEXT CHAPTER! I have no ideas...lol._

**-WRITER-**sigh Christina, I can't type it here. They don't have a Word to type it on. I'm writing the new chapter in my notebook. What other story? Prophecy? Don't. There are only 4 reviews, which makes me kinda sad, but oh well. Yeah, I'll be home in 5 days, and then I'll start typing Surprise ch. 13.

**-POSTER-**_people are going to MURDER YOU! I have an idea. You can type it in the email and then email what you have to yourself so that you have it at home. and if you finish it then you can send it to me to UPDATE!_

**-WRITER-**Um, do you realize how much time that's going to take me? I have to PAY to get on the computers here! $1 for 10 minutes. I normally put in $5, but even then, it would take me A LONG TIME to type it. Besides, I'll be home in 4 days. Don't worry, I'm writing the story now(I have 12 pages, I think)so it won't take me that long to type the story. Plus, my dad agreed to let me have one more all-night computerfest before I go back to school, so I'll probably type most of the story then and finish it the next day. I can't guarentee anything. Also, I'm getting up at 6 when school starts and I don't have to be out of the house until maybe 7:15, so I'll have plenty of time to type. I get breakfast at school so I don't have to take a break to eat it at home. And my reviewers can wait. I'm writing a good, long chapter to make up for the month-long break

**-POSTER-**_YOU COULD HAVE BEEN WRITING AT LEAST SOME OF IT INSTEAD OF F--ING TALKING TO ME! DAMN IT!_

**-WRITER-**DAMN IT CHRIS HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE TYPING IT! I COULD HAVE JUST TYPED IT AT HOME QUICKER! Haha, see, I make a more valid point, so nah!

**-POSTER-**_your a f--ing twit._

_**-WRITER-**i am not a f--king twit. I'll be home Monday, so it'll be easier to type it then. _

**-POSTER-**_ARGGGGG! I WANT THAT D'ARVIT CHAPTER!_

**-WRITER-**D'Arvit? What is that, French? Don't worry, I promise to have the chapter up by like, Sept. 12th. The latest is the 12th. I type quickly, so I'll have it to you by then. I'll go to my friend Chrystal's house for awhile, then I'll come home, type the chapter and send it to you. How does that sound?


	14. Konoha Festival

_Chapter 13: Konoha Festival _

**A/N-Hey everybody! I'm back from vacation! God I missed you guys! Anyway, I started writing this on paper just so that I could have something when I came home from vaca. Christina was bugging me about updating, so I'm doing this instead of what I REALLY should be doing, which is my summer homework, and school starts in 2 days.(sigh). Ah well. I can always ask my friend if he has Pt 2 of Homecoming. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter! Remember to R&R! **

Akina glanced at the clock impatiently, tapping her pencil irritably while she waited for the bell to ring. Today was the Konoha festival, and the dark-haired girl thought that she was going to drown in fanboys. All she wanted to do right now was get out of that classroom. Akina looked around nervously. The boys kept on looking at her, not even bothering to pay any attention to what their sensei was saying. She licked her suddenly dry lips and began to listen to their sensei. Just then, the bell began to ring. Akina packed up quickly and was the first one out the door. She sighed in relief once she spotted her father and hurried over to him. None of her fanboys would dare approach her whilst she was with the older man. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at his daughter's odd antics.

"Fanboys." Akina muttered once she got close enough.

"Ahhh..." Sasuke said with a smirk, grabbing Akina's bag and flinging it around his arm.

"Dad, how did you deal with your fangirls when you were in the Academy?" Sasuke shrugged and smirked again.

"I just avoided them." He told her simply. Akina shot him an annoyed glare.

"I've _been _doing that." She hissed. "They just won't leave me alone!" Sasuke chuckled, but said no more for a little while.

"So are you going to your mother's, or are you coming to my house?" He inquired. Akina shrugged as she mulled this over. At her dad's, she could eat and get what little homework she had out of the way. On the other hand, if she went home, she could get a head start on getting ready for the festival. Akina highly doubted that her father knew how to do her hair and put on kimonos. She smirked at the thought of seeing her dad as a female. Sasuke eyed her warily.

"I'm going to go to mom's," Akina said quietly, her smirk growing, "Unless you could help me get ready. If you choose that, then you've got A LOT of explaining to do." She patted Sasuke's arm, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing at her father's horrorfied face. "It's okay dad, I'll support you." Sasuke shot his daughter an irritated look.

"Listen princess, if I was gay, then you wouldn't exist and I wouldn't be dating your mother."

"Cover up?" Akina offered. She laughed and ducked as her father chucked her book bag at her.

"Haha, aren't you a riot tonight?" Sasuke asked sourly, grabbing the fallen bag.

"I know, I crack myself up." Replied Akina cheekily with a grin. Sasuke sent her a disgruntled look, but chose not to respond. She giggled and glanced up at the gray sky. It was March 4th, but the weather had seldom improved. It was, quite obviously, going to be a cool night. "Hey dad?"

"Hn."

"When are you gonna move in with mom and me?" Sasuke frowned and scratched his chin in thought.

"I don't know." He began slowly. "Perhaps one of these days I'll move in with you guys."

"But why not now?" Akina asked, and her father shrugged. His brother's voice echoed in his head. _'Uchiha's do not depend upon others.'_ Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger, and Akina lowered her head. She could tell that she had touched a nerve.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't apologize." Sasuke snapped, then sighed at his daughter's hurt look. "Your mother used to do that all the time, even when stuff wasn't her fault." He chuckled. "I remember telling her to stop doing that. Actually, it was more like yelled. You should have seen the look on her face." Akina laughed, and the two of them stopped in front of a house.

"Bye dad." She said. Sasuke crouched down to hand the girl her bag, and Akina kissed him affectionately on the cheek.

"Don't forget, you have to be here by 6:30." She said briskly. The older man smirked.

"Akina, I have never been late for something in my entire life." She smiled and waved, opening the door and stepping inside before closing it softly. Sasuke chuckled and shook his head. He was going to go home and take a shower before getting ready. Then, he smirked. He had a bowl of fresh tomatoes calling his name in his kitchen...

Akina smiled as she closed the door. Then, she glanced around.

"Mom?" She called.

"In here, sweetie!" Yelled a voice. Akina headed up the stairs and peeked into her mom's room. She saw a flash of pink, and so she pushed the door open farther and sat down on the bed, watching her mother with raised eyebrows. Haruno Sakura was grabbing kimonos, looking at them critically, then throwing them quickly over her shoulder. Apparently, she was having a _little_ bit of trouble picking out a kimono.

"Umm, mom? Do you want any help?"

"No!'' Sakura said irritably. Sighing, Akina got up, grabbed her mother firmly by the shoulders, and sat her down on the bed.

"No, mom, you do need help." She told the older woman stubbornly. "Now just sit here, and I'll pick out your kimono." Her mother stayed silent, but her eyes were laughing. Akina carefully looked in the closet, then started sifting through the pile on the floor. Finally, she held up a kimono. It was a dark blue, representing twilight with yellow and white dots on it, supposing to be stars. Then, she went into her mom's jewelry box and took out two black chopsticks. Akina handed those and the kimono to her mom.

"Thank you." Sakura said with a smile. The dark-haired girl returned the gesture.

"You're welcome, mom. Now go get ready. Dad'll be here soon." Sakura laughed, and Akina closed the door, heading to her own room. She threw her book bag on the bed, resolving to take her books out after she got dressed. She opened her closet, then smiled and took out the black kimono her dad got her for Christmas. Akina's smile widened as she slipped the kimono on. The silk felt smooth against her pale skin, there was no denying that.

Humming to herself, Akina opened her book bag and dumped her books onto the bed. Something flashed suddenly, and she turned her head to look at it. Guilt began to flood the pit of her stomach. It was the necklace that her father had gotten her for her birthday. She remembered putting it in there all those months ago, when she had first found out that he had murdered all of those innocent people, and her Uncle Itachi. Akina bit her lip gently and lifted her obsidian eyes to the mirror, the diamond heart necklace still clenched tightly in her fist. Then, slowly, she slipped the chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. How could she have forgotten about her necklace? Akina began to mentally yell at herself for doing such a stupid thing.

"Akina?" Sakura called, knocking on the door gently.

"Yeah?"

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah, but I need you to braid my hair."

"Oh, okay. I'm coming in." Sakura appeared, and Akina whistled.

"Wow mom! You look beautiful!" Her mother blushed prettily.

"Oh shush." She said, but she was smiling. Sakura began to braid Akina's hair, pulling tightly ever-so-often and making her daughter wince.

"Are you done yet?" She asked.

"Yeah, you're done." Sakura said with a smile. Akina smiled as well as she surveyed herself in the mirror.

"Dad's gonna love you." She whispered. Her mother smiled bitterly, and Akina raised an eyebrow in confusion. Sakura shook her head slightly.

"It's nothing. I was just remembering when Sasuke and I were still genin." She told Akina. The Uchiha daughter nodded in acceptance. She didn't know too much about when her parents and Uncle Naruto and Uncle Kakashi had been on a team, but she DID know it was a touchy subject, and therefore avoided as much as possible. She was surprised her mom had even brought it up at all.

"Anyway, mom, it's almost 6. I'm gonna do my homework, and then we're gonna go downstairs and wait for dad." Akina told her mother. Sakura gave her daughter a suspicious look.

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" She teased, and Akina made a little angry noise from the back of her throat.

"I only have one homework thingy to do." The younger female protested.

"Thingy!" Sakura repeated, and Akina nodded. Her mother put a hand to her forehead dramatically. "Don't let your father hear you say that," She mumbled. "With him and his proper Uchiha heritage, he'd probably drop dead." Akina rolled her eyes."Mother, please. Can you leave me alone so that I can do this stupid homework and just get it done and over with?" Akina said exhasperatedly. Sakura grinned at this and left the room, closing the door gently behind her. The seven year old breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to her homework, a determined glint in her eyes. It was time for Project: Uchiha Sakura. Hey, all she had said was that she had homework. Akina never stated that the _Academy_ had given her homework.

Sakura hummed some random song as she washed the dishes.

"I know you're there, Sasuke." She told the male matter-of-factly. A chuckle was heard behind her as she turned off the faucet.

"There was a time that I could've been standing right behind you and you never would've known." Sasuke said lightly, watching her shoulders tighten. Sakura exhaled slowly.

"That was a long time ago."

"Not that long."

"Seven years is a long time, Sasuke. Besides, I've changed."

"So I've seen." Sakura turned around and yelped. While they had been talking, Sasuke had been steadily walking towards Sakura, so that when she turned around, he was directly behind her. His arms shot out and held the sink, successfully trapping the pink-haired woman. She raised her eyes and emerald clashed with onyx. Then, ever so slowly, he lowered his head until their lips were touching lightly. Sakura raised her arm and her hand began to play with the little hairs on the nape of his neck.

Sasuke growled lowly in the back of his throat, and his arms wrapped themselves around her slim waist. Their kisses were possessive and needy, making them pause for breath before their lips attached again. Sakura's hand was now ploughing through Sasuke's ebony hair, whilst her other clutched his shoulder, bunching up the smooth fabric of the yukata **(A/N-Is that how you spell it?)** Not that it mattered anyway. His hands were doing the same thing to her kimono. Finally, the two broke apart, and Sakura laid her head on his shoulder, her hand lying on the back of his neck. Sasuke kissed her neck while his hand began to trace lazy circles on the small of her back.

"Did I tell you that you look nice?" He whispered, his breath tickling the shell of her ear.

"You just did." Sakura replied, smiling. He was still the same Uchiha Sasuke that she had fallen helplessly in love with as a genin. Sasuke would probably never tell her that she looked beautiful, but Sakura was strangely okay with that. She could wait forever if that's what it took.

"I think we'd better move before Akina comes down here and sees us." Sasuke said, and Sakura laughed.

"She'd be delighted. After all, she kept on urging us to be together. Akina wants so bad to have a younger sibling." Sakura said with a giggle. Sasuke was silent for a couple of seconds.

"How about a girl?"

"What?"

"Do you think Akina would mind a little sister?" Sasuke said. Sakura felt sure that had the Uchiha not been holding her up, she would've passed out. In her head her inner self was doing the cha-cha slide.

"No, I don't think she'd care." Sakura said faintly. Sasuke smirked and stepped back.

"Good." He said. Then, the sound of feet coming down the stairs was heard. Both Sasuke and Sakura turned their heads to face Akina.

"Oh, hi dad." She said brightly. "How long have you been here?"

"Just a couple of seconds. I got here right before you came down." Sasuke said smoothly. Akina obviously couldn't tell that her father just lied to her. After all, what was he supposed to say? That he and her mother had just been making out on the kitchen sink? Definately not. While the news would probably please her, she was only seven years old. "So, are you ready Akina?" He asked her, to which their daughter nodded.

"Mom? Are you ready?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Sakura said, and Akina raised an eyebrow, causing her mother to laugh. "I was just thinking about how much fun this festival will be."

"Yeah. It'll be funner now that dad's back." Sakura watched Sasuke grimace at their daughter's incorrect grammar.

"You mean it'll be a lot more fun now that I'm back." He corrected her.

"Yeah, that thingy!" Akina said, grinning. Sasuke brought a hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. Sakura saw Akina smirk and she nearly laughed. _'Akina know's exactly what she's doing. She knows correct grammar, she's just speaking incorrectly to annoy her father.' _Sakura surveyed Sasuke. _'And unless I'm mistaken, she's doing a damn good job at it.' _

"Okay, can we just...go?" Sasuke asked, and the two females nodded. Akina slipped in between her parents and held their hands.

"So Akina, did you go and get your homework done?" Sakura asked, turning her head to the younger girl. Akina grinned.

"Yeah, I finished it." She told her mother._ 'Now all I have to do is get my plans off paper and put it into action.' _Akina thought to herself. However, she couldn't be too hasty. Her parents loved each other, that much was obvious, but they would probably never admit it. With time, probably. Just not now. The three continued to walk, talking about idle stuff just to pass the time. Finally, they made it to the festival.

"Ohhh, pretty."Akina whispered appreciatively. Even her parents were inclined to agree. The Konoha festival was undeniably pretty.

"Hey teme! Hey Sakura-chan and Akina-chan."

"Hi Uncle Naruto."

"Hey Naruto."

"Hn. Dobe." Sasuke greeted back with a smirk. Next to Naruto was Hinata. She smiled at them.

"Hello Akina-chan, Sakura-sama, Sasuke-sama."

"Hi Aunt Hinata."

"Hello Hinata." Sakura said cheerfully. Sasuke just nodded at the raven-haired woman.

"Daddy?" Sasuke looked down at his only child. Her dark eyes were wide and innocent, and she was smiling childishly at him. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Yes, Akina?"

"Do you wanna go with me on one of the rides?"

"What kind of rides are we talking about?" Sasuke inquired, a forbidden feeling in his gut. His daughter was smart, and mischievous. Not exactly the best combination. Akina shrugged, her eyes pleading with him to come with her on one of the rides. Sasuke sighed.

"Alright." He finally agreed. Akina cheered and grabbed his hand. She dragged him over to one of the lines, and Sasuke quickly read the title of the ride.

"Tilt-a-whirl?" He said in disbelief. The girl beside him grinned.

"It's a really fun ride." She told him.

"It sounds dangerous." He told her bluntly. Akina giggled.

"Relax, dad. It's not dangerous, it's fun." Sasuke grunted, but said no more because it was their turn to go on the ride. Akina waved to the operator, who grinned at her.

"Akina-san!" He boomed out.

"Hey, Ryoko-sama!" She greeted back.

"How's Miya-sama and Korin-chan?"

"Oh, they're good. Korin's starting to talk." He winked at her cheerfully. Akina saw the confusion the on her father's face, so she decided to elaborate.

"Miya is Ryoko's wife, and they had a daughter, Korin, a little while ago." She explained patiently. "Ryoko has been operating the Tilt-a-whirl for as long as I can remember."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered as they sat down, Akina sitting next to him and pulling a metal bar across their laps.

"Brace yourself." Akina warned her father with a grin. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, but soon understood her words. The cart that they were seated in started to swing back and forth slowly while the platform the carts were on began to rotate in circles. A couple of seconds later the cart was spinning rapidly.

"Weeee!" Akina squealed. Sasuke didn't say anything. He was too busy clutching the bar and fighting down the sick feeling that was bubbling angrily in the pit of his stomach. It felt like forever that the ride lasted, but Sasuke knew it was only a couple of minutes. Once the two of them were off that (demon!) ride, Akina turned to her father.

"So did you like it?" She asked.

"Never...again." Gasped Sasuke. His hands were braced on his knees and he was bending over. His head, it seemed, was still on the Tilt-a-whirl.

"Next time, you can go with your mother or one of your aunts and uncles. Just not me."

"Why? Didn't you like it?"

"No." Akina pouted at him.

"But it's such a fun ride." Sasuke looked at her like she had eight heads.

"What! That is the ride from hell!" Akina laughed and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, maybe to you. Have you ever even _been _to a festival dad?" He didn't answer her. The last time he had been to the Konoha festival was when his parents had brought him here. That had been when he was a child, when life was simple and Itachi was his older brother, something he had been proud to announce to the world. When his parents were still alive.

"Hey look dad! A booth!" Akina grabbed his arm and dragged him over. You had to knock down the bottles and you'd win a prize.

"Do you have any money?" She asked him, turning to the male. He had been watching her, eyeing a brown bear holding a heart that said I love you on it. He handed her a dollar, which she handed to the man. He handed her a ball and stepped back, wishing the tiny girl good luck. However, there was a little problem. Akina was too small to actually hit the bottles. She let out a squeal of frustration before she felt arms picking her up and placing her on a shoulder. She smiled gratefully at her father, who was holding her waist with his calloused hands. **(A/N-Aww, kawaii.)** She threw on of the balls, which managed to knock down only three out of the seven bottles.

Sasuke looked at her and noted the disappointment on her face, and felt something tug at his heart. Carefully he held her waist with his one hand and dug into his yukata for another dollar. He put it on the booth and the man handed him a ball. Sasuke narrowed his eyes and concentrated on the bottles, aiming for a weak spot. He didn't use any chakra (he doubted they would allow him) and threw the ball, which knocked over all of the bottles.

"The I love you bear, please." He said coolly to the man, a small smile creeping on his face as he listened to Akina squeal with happiness as the booth man handed her the bear.

"Enjoy, miss." He said. Sasuke picked Akina up slowly, then set her down on the ground. She clutched her teddy bear and smiled up at him, and beside himself, he smiled back. Then he put another dollar down, received a ball, and threw it. Again it made it's mark, and his dark eyes scanned the stuffed animals. Finally he chose a white tiger. Akina raised an eyebrow, then smirked.

"It's for mom, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." His daughter squealed.

"Awww, how sweet." Sasuke chuckled and felt her hand slip into his larger one. She was still holding the teddy bear. "I'm gonna name him Kuri." **(A/N-It means Chestnut) **Sasuke nodded.

"That's a nice name." He told her. Akina smiled with pleasure and hugged the bear tighter to her chest. Finally they spotted Sakura. She was in a group of friends, chatting away happily. Sasuke smirked. The medic-nin turned to the two and smiled once they came up close enough.

"Look what dad got you mom!" Akina burst out, while Sasuke handed her the tiger. The women gave sighs of contentment, and some were jealous, wondering aloud why _their _men couldn't do that. Sakura smiled at Sasuke and kissed him lightly on the lips. The smaller girl beside him smiled at the sight. Her parents may not have never told one another they loved each other, but it was so obvious. Finally, it seemed, Haruno Sakura was actually happy.

**A/N- Another chapter done! Gomen for the wait! I have school in the morning, which means that I have to get up at 6 am (cringe) and I wanted to finish this chapter, just so Christina would stop whining. I hope you guys enjoyed the note that she put up. Can I count on you guys to remind me to beat her with a wooden spoon? Cause she DEFINATELY deserves it right now. (sniffle) Genius' at work cannot be rushed. 269 reviews? Gosh I LOVE you guys! Can we get it up to 300 reviews? I'll be ultra-happy! Answering reviews, as always.**

**Hersheys Rocks:** Actually, I really wasn't making excuses. I was on a public computer, which had ABSOLUTELY no Word (stupid arcade computers) so I was just gonna type it when I got home.

**StrugglingArtist:** Oh my god! Happy Birthday! Here's your present, hope you liked it. How old are you now?

**Cupcakies:** Yay! A long review! I love long reviews! Hehe, glad you enjoy the story, and don't worry, I scare my family too. I was on the comp (as always) and it was 9 o'clock, and I realized I was missing Naruto, so I ran from the room screaming, "NARUTO! NOOO!" at the top of my lungs. My father wanted to know if I had taken my pyscho medication that day afterwards. Nice dad, huh?

**Kyuubi Wolf:** Melissa's of the world unite! It's okay, I'm random too. My best friends swear to god I have ADD (which I probably do. It's not my fault I'm attracted to bright, shiny things...) Thanks for the review! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

**BewareMySpork: **Akina MIGHT get a younger sibling, and she might not. I don't want to give anything away, but did this chapter answer your questions? (cough) not that I'm giving anything away...

**NarutoUzumakiLover**: Of course I'll R&R your fics! Anything to help a fellow FF writer . I think I have reviewed one of your fics. When I review, I put down my real name (Melissa) and my e-mail address (which you probably know because of my loud-mouthed cousin Christina. Glares at her) If I haven't, I definately will soon.

**SasuSaku453:** Hehe, I know. She's such a terrible person, setting up her parents like that. Must be cool. Hehe.

**InuKag101:** Well, she IS Sasuke and Sakura's daughter. I know, she's only 7, but she's brilliant. Besides, Sasuke wasn't much older when he got his Sharingan, was he? How old was he anyway?

**SDJ:** Oh yes, absolutely. Wikepedia and child slavery are just the absolute best

**Okay, done. Now, look out for Chapter 14 of Surprise! Hope you enjoyed Chapter 13. Sorry that it was so rushed, but I have to go to ''sleep'' in 7 minutes (sob) and I have my first day of school tomorrow. Yay. Somebody wanna shoot me? Please? Hehe, just kidding. I'll try and have the next chapter up as soon as possible. Again, sorry for the long wait. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go murder a certain cousin of mine...**

**Invisible1WithNoFaith-**_I don't whin...I pester. And I'm not loud mouthed! I just thought that the people should know that the story's author was a big fat lazy ass! HA! Murder me! Why would you want to do that! I have a story to update...erg!_


	15. Sakura's birthday

**Chapter 14: Sakura's birthday**

Akina woke up extra early on March 28th. The sky was just starting to lighten up with pinks and gold's, proof that the sun was going to rise soon. Slowly, she crept out of the warmth of her bed and into the kitchen. Then, she made all of her mom's favorite foods, and prepared some orange juice while she waited. The dark-haired girl hoped that the other female wouldn't wake up for another 10 minutes.

After all, Akina wanted to surprise her mom with a breakfast in bed. Finally, the breakfast was made, and Akina placed it on a tray with the vase that held red roses, although she only picked one rose. As she balanced the tray while attempting to open her mom's door, she could hear the steady, even breathing. Good. She was still asleep, and Akina had lucked out. She put the tray on the desk and crawled into her mom's bed.

"Mommy." She whispered, shaking her.

"Mmmm..."Sakura mumbled sleeply, obviously against waking up.

"What, Akina?"

"Happy Birthday." Her mom's eyes snapped open.

"What?" Akina raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you forgot about the fact that your birthday is TODAY." Sakura blushed hotly.

"I didn't!" The medic-nin objected. "I was just too busy at the hospital to think about such a trivial thing." Akina's jaw dropped.

"Trivial! Birthdays mean presents and special treatments." Akina could just NOT grasp how her mom couldn't care about her birthday. To Akina, birthdays and Christmas were the best things in the entire world. Suddenly, she got up and grabbed the tray, then set it on her mom's lap with a smile. Sakura's eyes widened.

"You made me breakfast in bed?" Akina sighed.

"No, mom, I made you dinner in bed." Ignoring the sarcastic comment, Sakura picked up the knife and fork. Akina climbed off the bed.

"I'm gonna go get dressed. You just eat and I'll come back in to get everything." Sakura began to protest, but her daughter shook her head stubbornly.

"Nuh-uh mom. Today, it's all about you." Sakura smiled gratefully at the girl. She didn't get a lot of special occasions to just hang out and enjoy life, so when she did, it obviously meant a lot. Akina wandered into her room, and changed out of her fuzzy pajamas. She threw on a dark blue shirt and jeans, throwing on her sandals and putting her long dark hair into a ponytail. She then proceeded to go back into her mom's room. Sakura was just finishing up her breakfast when the younger girl walked into the room.

"Done?" Akina asked, and her mother nodded and smiled at her.

"It was really good. Thank you, Akina." Akina smiled at her mother, blushing.

"Awww, it was nothing. I just wanted to do something special for you." She replied. Sakura grinned at her daughter and ushered her out of the room because she had to go get dressed. Akina nodded and went downstairs. She was starving, but she wanted to do the dishes for her mom. So, she did those, then made herself some cereal. As Akina was washing out her empty bowl, her mom came down. She smiled at the dark-haired girl, who returned the gesture.

"I like your outfit." She complimented the older woman. Her mom was wearing a knee-length black skirt and a red shirt with straps that went around the neck. Around the chest area there were sparkles, and she was wearing black high heels. Sakura smiled and blushed, tugging at a piece of pink hair.

"Do you really?" The older woman asked, feeling insecure all of a sudden. Akina nodded. "Really. I'm sure dad will like it." Sakura glared at her daughter.

"Whoever said this was for your father?" Akina 'tch'ed but didn't reply. She went upstairs and grabbed her book bag, then came back downstairs. Moments later, Uchiha Sasuke walked into the kitchen. He looked Sakura up and down and raised an eyebrow. The medic-nin busied herself so that Sasuke wouldn't see the bright blush on her face.

"So dad, are you ready?" Akina asked, grinning at the exchange between her parents. Sasuke nodded.

"I'm coming back to the house after I drop Akina off." He told Sakura, who inclined her head slightly to show that she had heard, pretending to arrange the flowers. Akina winked at her mother before bidding her a good day. As the two walked to the Academy, all was silent. Akina was too busy contemplating over wether or not her parents would get married soon, and Sasuke was occupied with whatever thoughts were going through his head. Her father, at times, could be such an aloof man. When it was quiet, Akina knew not to break it.

They finally reached the Academy, and Akina kissed Sasuke's cheek (more out of habit than anything else) and waved goodbye to him. He nodded slightly at her, and began to walk back to the house, back to where he knew Sakura was waiting for him. He smirked. How familiar. Sasuke opened the door, and didn't see Sakura anywhere. He sighed, and sat down on the couch, waiting patiently. The woman finally came from upstairs, and blinked at the sight of the male on her couch. Then she smiled slowly at him.

"Hi, Sasuke." He merely nodded at her.

"Happy Birthday Sakura." He said. Her smile brightened, and she sat next to him.

"Thanks. You'll never believe what Akina did for me." She laughed, and he raised an eyebrow.

"She made me breakfast in bed." Sasuke smirked.

"Well, she's really considerate." He said, and Sakura nodded.

"She is. She got up extra early and made me breakfast. That's pretty good, especially considering how much she hates getting up early."

"I know." Silence reigned between the two, and Sasuke glanced at the clock.

"Do you wanna go do something?" Inner Sakura's cries of "Hell yeah!" caused Sakura to smile. Quite obviously, she couldn't scream that out, in the way that her inner self was, with her fists pumping in the air.

"Sure." Sakura finally said with a smile.

When her Uncle Shikamaru was waiting for her, Akina couldn't say that she was surprised. She was actually really glad. That meant that her parents were together, strengthening their relationship and hopefully giving Akina a younger sibling. Uncle Shikamaru glanced at the clouds, which were moving gently ahead of them. Akina couldn't help but smile. It was nice outside, a blessed change from the cold they had been receiving. The ebony-eyed girl enjoyed the whole Christmas thing, and making snowballs and having days off from school, but the weather was just horrible. She was more of a summer or spring person, anyway. They finally stumbled into the house, and Akina glanced around, her eyebrows raised.

"Where is everyone else?" She inquired. Uncle Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly, walking into the kitchen.

"Your Aunt Ino is working, and Yumi is at some friend's house. Ino is going to pick her up after work, or if she can't make it, I'll go pick her up myself." Akina nodded, picking up an apple and biting into it. She tasted the juices, so tangy and sweet, and it made her grin. It had been so long since she'd had an apple, although it'd also been a while since she'd had an orange... she glanced around quickly, then chidded herself. She was eating an apple! What did she need an orange for?

Akina wandered into the living room, sitting down on the couch and finishing off her apple. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the tightness beneath the skin move. The dark-haired girl suddenly felt exhausted, and throwing her apple core away, she headed back to the soft couch and laid down. It had been a rather trying day, and Akina had stayed positive throughout the entire day, but she was just totally drained of energy. Thinking of the happiness her parents must be sharing right now, she finally drifted off to sleep.

"Akina?" A gentle voice whispered. Akina shifted slightly on the couch, not willing to be dragged from her dream. A cool hand brushed back the hair from her bangs, and the girl's eyes twitched. The voice repeated her name, and obsidian eyes opened slightly. She was met with blue eyes, and Akina repressed the urge to roll over. It was her Aunt Ino, blinking down at her.

"What?" The girl asked groggily. Ino smiled.

"Your parents are here." Trying to grasp that concept, Akina sat up, then slumped back and groaned. She heard a chuckle. She got up sluggishly, blinking slightly. She couldn't see anything, and she was just waking up, so therefore, everything was kind of blurry. She stumbled her way outside, and her eyes narrowed, trying to see. She could make out the shape of her father, leaning against the beam on the porch. Her father chuckled at the state his daughter was in, and Sakura smiled from her place on the couch on the porch. Sasuke carefully picked Akina up, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent deeply and feeling immediately lulled back to sleep. Shikamaru handed Sakura Akina's bookbag with a grin.

"She fell asleep on the couch, been asleep even since." He told her. Sakura smiled and thanked the lazy genius for taking care of their daughter. Sasuke carried Akina home the entire way, and she slept the entire way. He had Sakura open the door, because he kind of couldn't, seeing as how he had a child in his arms. Sasuke felt Akina breathe lightly on his neck, fast asleep, and he couldn't help the tiny smile that threatened to tug at his pale lips. He carefully placed his dark-haired daughter on her bed, watching at she frowned at the lack of warmth. He pulled the covers up to her neck, and she turned to her side and snuggled, trying to find a comfortable spot in the cool blankets. He gently kissed her forehead, then watched as Sakura did the same thing.

"Good night sweetheart." The pink-haired woman whispered, smiling a little as she felt Sasuke take her hand. They turned and left the room, closing the door behind them and heading to Sakura's room. Now that their daughter was fast asleep in her bed, it was time for them to sleep as well. Sasuke shrugged out of his pants, and Sakura went into her bathroom to change. She came out and smiled shyly at Sasuke, who climbed into the bed with her. She felt strong arms wrap around her, and Sakura sighed in happy contentment.

"Happy birthday Sakura." Sasuke whispered, as the two of them drifted off to sleep.

**A/N- Gomen for the wait! My teachers are driving me crazy with all the homework. I know, this chapter wasn't exactly the best, but I finished typing it at (checks clock) a quarter to 5 in the morning. So please bare with me. I know, it's no where NEAR Sakura's birthday, but oh well. Oh, I just remembered I had a FF account. It's _HPbabe91_, so if you could review my one-shot, Shards, I'd love you guys forever! Never fear, I'll complete Surprise under Christina's account, and if I do a sequel to this story, I'll do it under Invisible1withnofaith. Do you guys think I should do a sequel? Anyway, answering questions! **

**SasukeLover001:** Thanks so much! Yeah, this is my (Melissa's) story. Christina writes InuYasha stories, I write Naruto and Harry Potter. Love your penname, by the way.

**StrugglingArtist:** Awesome . I put a shoutout on my new one-shot, the one on HPbabe91, cause I didn't see a review from you on her when I first put up Shards. (the one-shot) Yeah, my 15th birthday is in less than a month. I'm definately gonna put up a new chapter on my birthday, or slightly before it. So if I get reviews that say Happy Birthday, I'll be ultra happy...(hint hint)

**Elleisis:** Thank you! I'll definately need luck with school, getting on that bus is like feeding time at the zoo... no lie. It's really sad, the fact that everyone tries to kill you to get on the bus home.

**NarutoUzumakiLuver:** Okay, check my HPbabe91 account. On my one-shot, Shards, I put a HUGE shoutout to you (because I was having a really bad day, I came home and checked my reviews and suddenly everything was A LOT better) and I also suggested a title. If you want, you can review Shards, cause that would make me really, really happy.

**HersheysRock:** Finally! Someone who understands! Yes, the computers there sucked, plain and simple. That's why I didn't update for so long, sorry!

**2supersmart:** I know, I have risen from the dead . God, I hate you (joking! Don't worry, I love you) cause I have to get up at 6. But that's okay, cause I get the computer to myself for like, a half hour or 40 minutes before I get dressed and lay on my bed for awhile, doing nothing. How sad.

**Cherry Blossom Dreamer:** Yeah, sorry about Naruto. I like, cried when I typed that. It was more of the old Sasuke behavior that Naruto was channeling, but, (shrugs) Can't really be helped. I guess he was just really frustrated, and his anger, though unintentionally, turned on Akina. And yes, the way Akina speaks is very correct, I know. I just can't bring myself to type wrong, I'm kind of an obsessive perfectionist when it comes to spelling and grammar... Blame my grammar teacher. Also, in my story Sasuke was 15 when he left. I know, he left when they were like, 12 or 13, but for the sake of the story, he was 15. Bare with me please

**Cupcakies:** Haha, I would've done the same thing. But I like it being taped better, because it's in English and I hate listening to the Japanese voices and reading the subtitles, cause I never know if that's the correct subtitles.

**Link Fangirl01:** If you are honestly disgusted by what Sakura and Sasuke are doing, then don't read. They're like, 22 or 23 in this fic. I've seen my brother make out with his girlfriend, and it doesn't bother me. If it does you, then I apologize, but I'm going to continue typing like that. You can always just skip over any part that makes you uncomfortable. I try not to be too explicit, or else that would make this story an M, but making out isn't that bad. Oh, and about giving birth, I watched my aunt do it. It was gross, and she actually did break her husbands hand, which is where I got the part with Kakashi from.

**Book-Manga-Freak:** Yes ma'am (salutes) Hehe. Well, if you can envision the things happening in your head (which happens to me whenever I type) then I believe it's realistic.

**Xplodiak:** Kyle, stop gloating. Do you WANT my reviewers to kill me! I rather like typing, thank you very much. Besides, then I'd never finish this story .

**Anyway peoples, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try and update as soon as possible, and remember, please visit my other account and review Shards! It would make me super happy! Oh, and does anybody here like The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus? Hehe, I can't stop listening to them. My favorite songs are Damn Regret, Your Guardian Angel, Face Down, and Cat and Mouse. So if you wanna get into the writing mood, I suggest you listen to them, because they just rock, plain and simple.**


	16. Vacation surprise

_**Chapter 15: Vacation surprise** _

Sasuke looked around, making sure that he was all packed up. Akina straightened, groaning.

"God, dad, just how many things do you own?" She joked, talking about the many boxes that were in his living room. Now that it was June, and the weather was getting warmer, the two were sweating rather profusely.

"Want something to drink?" He offered, and Akina nodded, wiping her sweaty palms on her cut-off jean shorts. He grabbed two bottles of water and threw one at her, which she caught effortlessly. She guzzled some of it down quickly, and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. They had been packing for the past two and a half hours, and although Akina was glad that her father was finally moving in with them, she just wished that he had a little less stuff. Although he was giving his bed to Naruto for Kaemon,(A/N– Revert back to Chapter 6. He's Naruto's son, not exactly a big character, so don't worry about it) and his dresser was going to Yumi, he still had a lot of stuff. Well, considering it was him anyway. Akina glanced desolately around her.

"Dad, are we gonna have to carry all of these boxes to our house?" She asked, mentally begging him to say no. He smirked.

"Don't worry, we'll have help. Your uncles are coming." Akina hesitated, then shrugged. She guessed that it was better than just him and her having to lug boxes around Konoha. After all, it was hot, and she was already sweating and just wanted to take a shower. She glanced at her father, then felt bad. He was in the same shape as she was, and he wasn't complaining. Still, he was used to pain. She wasn't.

"When are they coming?" Akina inquired.

"Soon." Was her father's vague answer. His daughter gritted her teeth, but said nothing and plopped down on the couch, propping her feet up on one of the boxes and taking a drink of water from the bottle in her hand. Akina let out a sigh of contentment, feeling cooled down. Well, at least they'd have help. She'd probably have to carry the little boxes, but that wasn't so bad. After all, her Uncle Shikamaru might be lazy, but he wasn't all the time, especially when he knew that others needed help. Akina was interrupted in her musings when the door bust open, and her Uncle Naruto tripped through the door. She rolled her eyes, her father mimicking her actions unknowingly. The blond stood up, blushing.

"Haha, sorry about that." He said sheepishly, and behind him came a very disgruntled Nara Shikamaru.

"Troublesome." He muttered, eyeing the azure-eyed man distastefully. Shikamaru's dark eyes scanned over the boxes, and he grunted.

"Not too bad. It'll take us about an hour to do this." Sasuke shrugged.

"What about the heavier stuff? Like the dressers?" He inquired, and Shikamaru thought this over quickly.

"We'll do that after the boxes." He said finally, and they all nodded in agreement.

"Akina, you take the lighter stuff. Your father, Naruto, and I will get the heavier stuff."

"Okay." Akina said, glad not to have to do too much. The four of them got busy, the small female picking up boxes of clothes, while the males grabbed the heavier boxes, and with this, they began to move Sasuke into his new house.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Akina said, collapsing onto the couch in her house, her head braced on her father's leg. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders, muscles tense and sore from carrying dressers and beds.

"Akina-chan, you didn't carry any of the heavy stuff." Naruto grumbled, rubbing his forearms. He yelped loudly when Sasuke kicked his leg, and Akina frowned.

"I would have," she muttered sullenly, "except my dad didn't want me to."

"Che. I won't have you hurting yourself."

"I wouldn't have hurt myself!"

"Hn." Huffing at this response, Akina sat up and went into the kitchen. Sasuke shot his blond best friend/rival an angry look. Naruto shrugged.

"You were actually the one who got her mad."

"You started it, dobe."

"What'd you say, teme?!" Shikamaru sighed, and scratched the back of his head, mumbling his famous catchphrase as he watched the two grown men (although you'd never know it) bicker. Sometimes, he swore he must have the patience of a saint to put up with these two.

"Sasuke, why don't you just go apoligize to Akina?" Shikamaru said finally, and the brunette looked over at him, then nodded. Naruto, obviously peeved because he wasn't done fighting with the Uchiha genius, sat on the couch in a sulky silence. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything about the blond's behavior. After all, if he was going to act the same age his son was, then let him. It wasn't the Nara's concern. Sasuke came out, trailing behind his was a happy Akina, holding a sandwich and munching on it.

"Thanks for your help, Uncle Naruto and Uncle Shikamaru." She said, her gleeful mood obviously being restored. They nodded, and got up.

"I'm going to go. I'll see you all later." Shikamaru said, and with a wave, he left. "I'm starving, and Hinata-chan's coming home with ramen, and I'm gonna go eat." Sasuke shook his head, a small smile adorning his lips as the azure-eyed man rushed out of the house. Akina looked around desolately at all of the boxes.

"Are we gonna unpack all of the boxes?" She inquired, and Sasuke smirked. He knew his daughter really didn't want to, but she had to. After all, she hadn't moved a lot of the boxes.

"There aren't that many boxes." He said patiently, the dark-haired girl glared at him. She began to rip off the tape, and placed things where they should be. After a moment, her father joined her. The personal stuff that would go in Sakura and his new room was in separate boxes that were labeled bedroom, so Akina knew not to touch those. She put his pictures and stuff on the mantel, and other stuff that he couldn't bare to part with in other places.

Once they were done unpacking that, Sasuke grabbed the boxes to go in the bedroom and headed in that direction. Akina picked up the other box and mimicked his actions, placing them at his feet and backing out of the room, probably to go take a nap. Sasuke began to unpack his clothes and hung them up. The others he put in drawers. He smiled slightly, feeling a lump at the bottom of the box.

Looking around to make sure that the other Uchiha wasn't in the room, he stuffed it at the bottom of one of his drawers. Nodding in satisfaction, Sasuke walked out of the room, looking for his daughter. He found her in her room, doing the thing he had thought she had been doing. He smiled slightly, and headed into his bedroom. It really had been a rather exhausting day... collapsing onto the bed, Sasuke inhaled the scent of flowers, and slowly fell asleep.

He awoke to a noise, and stiffened before recognizing the chakra. He opened his eyes, and watched his girlfriend take off her medic coat and hang it up. She turned around, and smiled at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She apoligized. Sasuke got up and shrugged.

"It doesn't matter, I had to get up anyways." She nodded, and he kissed her on the cheek before heading downstairs. Sakura smiled slightly, feeling her cheek tingle even though he's done that tons of times before. Still, it amazed her how such a cold guy could act so warm. Still smiling, Sakura headed in the same direction that Sasuke had. She found him in the kitchen, at the stove, making some Chicken Lo-Mein. Their very disgruntled daughter sat at the kitchen table, irritably waiting for him to be done with the food. Sakura seated herself across from Akina.

"So how did the move go?" She inquired. Akina shrugged.

"It went fine for me. Uncle Naruto complained, though." Sasuke snorted.

"Dobe." He muttered, and Sakura shook her head. Sasuke came over and placed a bowl in front of his two girls, and placed one for himself. Then, he poured the Chicken Lo Mein into the bowls, and without another word, the three began to eat.

"So how was work?" He asked, turning his eyes to the pink-haired woman beside him. She shrugged absentmindedly.

"It was alright. Boring, as usual, but fine." Akina grinned into her Lo Mein. It reminded her of school. Boring, because every day was practically the same, but the day went fine. She glanced at the clock, and yawned again. She didn't get that much sleep, only a couple of hours, and the night before she hadn't gotten any sleep at all because she had been so excited about her dad moving in. Finishing her bowl, she got up and stretched, rumpling her hair.

"I'm gonna go back to bed." She announced, and with a kiss to both parents' cheeks, she headed upstairs. Sakura smiled, and Sasuke placed his bowl in the sink, glancing back at her.

"You done?" She nodded, and handed him her bowl. "Sleeping don't sound like a bad idea after all."

"Didn't you sleep enough before Mr.Uchiha?" Sakura teased lightly, and Sasuke growled, his arms encircling her petite waist. He nuzzled his face into the back of her neck, and she giggled.

"Well, we don't have to sleep..." He picked her up bridal style, and Sakura laughed, her arms going around his neck.

"Oh, you're horrible! Akina could still be up, you know." He stopped at that, and looked down at her, eyebrow raised. He walked into their room, and placed her down on their bed before walking out of the room. Confused, Sakura waited. He walked in a couple of minutes later, grinning.

"She's fast asleep, I just checked on her." With that, he pounced on Sakura. Needless to say, they didn't sleep for awhile.

The warm days of summer seemed to flash by, and before they knew it, it was August 17, a week before Akina's birthday. The girl herself was getting giddier and giddier as the time came close. Sasuke and Sakura were currently birthday shopping for their daughter, getting more and more frustrated as the seconds ticked by. They didn't really have a clue as to what to get the girl!

"I'm about to give up and just give her some kunai." Sasuke growled. Sakura gave him an exhasperated stare. "You can't just give her some kunai!" She protested.

"Why not?!" Sasuke demanded.

"Because she's expecting something better!"

"What the hell does she think, I'm made of money?!"

"HELLO! You're Uchiha Sasuke, for Kami's sake!" He glared at her, but didn't retaliate.

"Sasuke, look!" He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, but her gaze was directed at something else. He followed it and discovered that she was looking at the same store that he had gotten Akina's necklace in. Sakura, of course, did not realize this.

"We could get her something in there!" She said, and with that, grabbed his hand and proceeded to drag him to the store. Sasuke just let her. Well, like mother like daughter, he mused, a smirk tugging at his lips as he watched her gush over the ''pretty jewelry''.

"Sasuke! Come over here!" Jolted out of his thoughts, he headed over to her. "I'm sure you can handle this stuff on your own." He thought aloud, and Sakura shot him a glare.

"Of course I can handle this all on my own." She said dismissivly. "It's just that I'd like YOUR input." He glanced at the things in her hand, and in the end, they ended up picking something that they both enjoyed. The man winked at Sakura as he handed her the stuff, and she smiled politely. On their way out, Sasuke shot the man the Uchiha Death Glare, and the man behind the counter ducked down. NOBODY looked at Sakura like that but HIM, damnit. (A/– Haha, sorry, couldn't resist. Jealous! Sasuke is so cute!) They walked home in a contended silence. Akina was with Ino and Shikamaru so Sakura and Sasuke could shop for their only daughter. With her free hand, Sakura grasped Sasuke's and intertwined their fingers. He smirked, and gazed out at the meadow that they were passing.

"We'll have to hide this one really well." He said suddenly.

"I know. Otherwise, Akina will go looking for it." She nudged him gently, giggling at his raised eyebrow.

"She gets that from you, you know." Sakura said softly. Sasuke's eyebrow went higher.

"You're not totally innocent either, Sakura."

"What?! I was never sneaky!"

"Oh, weren't you? What about when we were 12?" She blushed hotly. She had hoped Sasuke wouldn't remember her fangirl days. It embarassed her that she had acted like that.

"So what. That was a long time ago!" He chuckled, and Sakura beamed. She loved hearing his laugh. It was just as rare as his smile, but just as beautiful.

"We're here." He interrupted her thoughts, and she glanced up. Sasuke opened the door, and they walked inside.

"Where'd you put the wrapping paper?"

"On the side of our bed." She informed him, taking the little boxes out of the bag. Sasuke nodded, and headed upstairs. He came back a couple of minutes later, holding the shiny cylinder in his hand. The two wrapped their daughters present, and Sakura inspected it to make sure that there were no little gaps, so Akina wouldn't be able to tell what her birthday present was.

"Sasuke, isn't it a good day for a picnic?" The pink-haired woman inquired, and Sasuke smirked.

"It is." He agreed.

"Seeing as how Akina's at Ino and Shikamaru's, I believe you want to go on a picnic?" She nodded eagerly, a bright smile on her face.

"Aa." He went upstairs and into their room, and changed quickly. He would take a shower when he got home, but for now, he would just change his shirt. He walked calmly back downstairs, ignoring his feelings. Sakura had everything packed up and was waiting patiently for him. She gave him a tiny smile and grabbed his hand.

"Ready?" He nodded.

"Okay. I was thinking about that meadow, the one with the really big and pretty sakura tree." He smirked.

"What is it with Haruno's and sakuras?" She shot him a look but otherwise pretended that she hadn't heard his remark. They walked through Konoha, the warm breeze playing slightly with their hair while other people around them hurried on with their own business. Nobody really made a fuss anymore, because they were so used to seeing the couple around town. Once they reached their designated place, they sat themselves beneath the giant sakura tree and Sakura began to unpack their belongings. They ate, chatting quietly about whatever came to their minds.

"Well, I guess we'd better go pick up Akina now." Sakura wiped her mouth on a napkin and began to pack up, then stood and turned, but a hand around her wrist stopped her. Sasuke had one hand around her wrist, and one knee was bent on the ground, supporting him, while the other was bent, but his foot was braced on the floor. Her breath came out erratically when she spotted what was in his other hand.

"Marry me."

**A/N– Woah, this was a bitch and a half to write! Gomen for the LONG wait! I'm currently failing Biology (stupid teacher, with her boring class!) so I had to bring up my grades or else my father would have kittens. Yes, cliffhanger! Haha, I'm evil, yes, but there hasn't been a cliffhanger in quite a few chapters, and I felt that I should do it with this chapter.**

In order to make it up to you guys for the wait, I had Sasuke move in with them, AND have him propose! I'll try and get up the next chapter as soon as I can, but I can make no guarentees. Midterms are coming up, and it's freaking cold and I'm sick. Anyway, answering questions! Oh, and the 19th chapter will probably be the last. Sorry!

**Fading Nightmares:** No, sadly there WON'T be a lemon where Akina gets a younger sibling. Perhaps if I'm in the mood, I'll write a lemon where Akina was actually CREATED. Oh, and for those who don't know, (regarding a review I got) in Surprise, Sasuke was 15 when he left for

**Sound. Tamara:** I'm kinda iffy on the whole sequel thing. If I do put one up, it'll be on my other account, HPBabe91.

**SasukeLover001:** (blushes) Gosh, I'm not THAT good of an authoress. Of course I'll check out your stories! Goodness gracious, you've put up with me for the past four months, the least I can do is review your stories. Glad you liked the chap!

**Tierra:** My friends suggested that there be a fight between Hitomi and Akina, and I considered it, but in the end, there wasn't any. After all, they're only seven. Although I was getting into fights when I was her age (cough) but we won't discuss that. Thanks! I turned 15 on Oct. 10. Happy birthday!

**writingzeaL:** Oh my god, you thought of Surprise? Wow, you don't know how much that means to me (hands you a cookie) I'll have to listen to that song, it sounds really good! I remember when I was little, my dad used to sing to me Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. It's a really cute song.

**WhiskerzCutie:** WHAT?! NEVER HEARD OF RJA? Dude, that's too horrible for words! I got their CD for my birthday, and I'm like, addicted to it . Shame on your friends! Glad you liked the chap!

**SakuraxSasuke forever:** Truth be told, you'd honestly have to ask Christina about that. PM her (she has the same username, Invisible1withnofaith) and ask her. She's the genius who does all of this work, I'm just the authoress!

**Blood Red Sharingan:** Every time I read your review, I laugh. Don't worry, it's only because the thought never crossed my mind. If you're a yaoi fan, then dream that it's Kakashi and that person (except for Sasuke, Naruto, and/or Shikamaru, they're all taken. And trust me, there are some SICK pervs here. Same rule applies for their respective partners). However, I suppose Kakashi could be with Anko in this fic. Or perhaps Shizune. Whichever pairing the reader prefers, then Kakashi's with them! Sorry, doesn't really answer your question, but there really IS no answer. Thanks for the review!

**Jami16:** Sad that it made you cry, but happy because they're tears of joy! Thanks for the review!

**Setsuna-chan09:** Bleh, I know how you feel. God, is it Christmas vacation yet? Glad you liked the chappie!

**2supersmart:** I'm on my computer at 6 am every morning. Ew. I'm not even AWAKE yet, so the computer screen burns my eyes XD. Those stupid cooking utensils! Oh, and my friend almost killed me with a brush today. I said something offending to her (probably about her ''beloved'' Yankees, I'm a Mets fan) and she threw her brush at my head. Thank god for quick reflexes! Thanks for the review!

**Cupcakies:** Man, that stinks! Sports practices are always a bother. I pulled a calf muscle during softball practice, it hurt so bad! Hehe, glad you're glad I updated! Hope the chapter satisfied you!

**Odat:** Teehee, I'm not telling. You'll find out soon though, never fear!


	17. The wedding

Chapter 16: The wedding

Akina knew that something was up. It wasn't that anything was different; it was just something she could feel in her bones. She pouted, and then brightened up. Her birthday was in a couple of days. That was good news. Her parents were acting kind of weird, but she just brushed that off. They were probably excited about her upcoming birthday, of course! They also might not have gotten her a present, which could be why they were so fidgety. Akina frowned. Some great parents they were, not getting her a present yet. Then again, she couldn't prove they hadn't. But then, what could be bothering her parents? Her frowned deepened, and she rested her chin in her palm, gazing out the window.

Perhaps she was just overreacting. Maybe her parents weren't acting weird; maybe she was just imagining it. Akina sighed, and headed downstairs. Her parents were sitting there, talking quietly and drinking tea. Smiling slightly, the girl decided to pour herself some, and sat in a chair, listening to their voices as they reminisced. After a half-hour, however, it was painfully clear that her parents were skirting from the issue of her birthday. Pouting to herself, she placed her cup into the sink.

"I'm going to Uncle Naruto's!" She called over her shoulder as she headed out of the kitchen.

"Okay. Akina, be back by the time it starts to get dark." Sakura warned, and Akina nodded absentmindedly. Once gone, her parents sighed with relief, and Sakura pulled out a long-shaped box. "I doubt she noticed. She was probably waiting for us to blurt it out." The pink-haired woman said dryly, and Sasuke smirked.

"I'm surprised she didn't notice your necklace." He said, and his fiancée smiled. She had placed her engagement ring on a silver chain, lest she wear it on her finger and loose it.

"Like I said before, our darling daughter was probably too preoccupied with trying to find out what we had gotten her for her birthday then to notice what was around my neck."

"Well, she's a smart girl. She'll figure it out eventually. I give it two days until she sees and totally freaks out." Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, she'll find out either on her birthday or just slightly before it. Nice birthday present." His smirk slowly spread into a tiny smile.

"Well, she did all but lock us in a closet to finally admit our feelings. She'll be ecstatic when she finds out we're getting married." It was Sakura's turn to smirk at Sasuke's comment, and she got off the chair and slid onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist as she placed the back of her head onto the crook of his neck. "So what do you want to do now that Akina's gone?" He asked, and she shrugged.

"I'm not sure. We could plan out our wedding, or we could go to Ichiraku." Her fingers made slow patterns on his neck, and Sasuke fought back the urge to shudder. She was such a vixen. "Or... we could stay here." His answer was immediate. He scooped her up bridal style, and took his time getting to their room, Sakura laughing the entire way.

"Akina?" Naruto asked, and his niece smiled at him brightly.

"Hi, Uncle Naruto! Can I come in?" He nodded and stepped aside. The girl treaded inside and sat down on the couch. Her onyx eyes sparkled with mischief, and Naruto almost grinned. Sakura had always blamed him for her daughters bad streak, and he himself had always shrugged it off; after all, at least Akina wasn't pranking him.

"I know that look in your eyes. What's going on?" Akina smirked.

"Have you seen my mom in the past couple of days?" Her uncle shook his head. "Well, my dad proposed." Naruto's jaw dropped.

"WHAT?!" Akina nodded.

"I noticed that she was wearing a ring on a chain around her neck, and then I realized that it was an engagement ring. I didn't say anything, cause I'm gonna let them, " and here, she put in air quotation marks, "surprise me." The blond across from her let out a booming laugh, and a startled Aunt Hinata came down the stairs.

"What's going on?" She asked, in that normal quiet voice.

"The teme finally proposed!" He told his wife, grinning. Aunt Hinata smiled as well.

"That's great! We must go congratulate them." At this, Akina shook her head.

"I know you mean well, Aunt Hinata, but my parents don't know that I know so could you not congratulate them cause then they'll know that you know so they'll find out that I know and it'll ruin the surprise." Her aunt's opaque eyes blinked rapidly, trying to catch up with the girl's insistent chatter.

"Uhm, okay then. I won't tell." Hinata said slowly, and Akina gave her a bright smile.

"Thank you! Anyway, what's new?" Naruto shrugged.

"Not much. I just got back from shopping for your birthday present." He sat down and leaned back, smirking at how Akina's eyes brightened up at the word. She slinked over and plopped herself on his lap.

"Well well, this is some rather interesting news. Care to tell me more." Naruto smirked, and shook his head. "Awww, come on, Uncle Naruto!" Akina squealed, taking hold of his shirt. "Don't be like that! Sharing is caring!" Naruto laughed, and carefully pried his niece's fists off his shirt.

"Sorry, Akina-chan. No can do. Your mom would _kill me_."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"The answer is still no." The dark-haired girl pouted, and crossed her arms.

"You're so mean." Her uncle smirked.

"I know."

Akina whistled slightly to herself as she walked home. The sun was setting slowly, so she knew her parents would freak if she came home any later.

The Uchiha heir smirked to herself; what would happen if she told her dad she had been hanging out with her fanboys. Immediately, the image of an amazingly angry Uchiha Sasuke killing all of the males in Konoha crossed her mind. Akina giggled. Her dad could be so overbearing sometimes.

She spotted her house, and grinned evilly, then shook her head. No, she wouldn't say that to her dad. Yet.

"Mom! Dad, I'm home!" Sasuke walked out of the kitchen, and his eyes flitted over to the clock that was hanging on the wall.

"You were at the dobe's house for a while." He commented lightly. Akina shrugged.

"I haven't seen him in forever. We had a lot of catching up to do." Sasuke rolled his eyes at his daughter's dramatics. She probably got that from her mother.

"You saw him three days ago." He said bluntly, and headed back into the kitchen. The dark-haired girl huffed angrily, but followed her father into the room. He stood at the stove, stirring something slowly, and Akina seated herself gently in a chair and waited for him to finish. Sakura came in and smiled Akina.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did you have fun at Naruto's?" Akina smiled.

"Yeah, it was fun." She said, thinking back to her time with the blond. Her mother nodded.

"That's good." Sakura murmured absentmindedly, watching Sasuke pour the soup into bowls. He placed two of the bowls in front of his girls, then sat down in a chair next to his "girlfriend" and began to eat. Akina was about to, but her shinobi eyes saw something.

"Dad," she snapped irritably, picking up something from her soup, ''your hair is in my soup!" She accused, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"That's your hair, Akina."

"Is not!"

"Yes, it is."

"That's your hair." The obsidian-eyed man rolled his eyes again, and Sakura sighed, continuing to eat.

"No, it's not. That piece is long, just like your hair."

"Well, your hair is long too." Akina told him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Not as long as yours." The young female closely inspected the strand of dark hair.

"Oh my God, who cares?" Sakura cried, "Akina, let that thing go, and eat!" Akina flicked the offending strand of onyx hair onto the floor, and after having a short glaring contest with the contents in her porcelain bowl, she obeyed her mother's orders.

The three ate in silence, and the youngest female smirked slightly to herself, watching Sakura fidget. Akina ate slowly and deliberately, but they were all finally done.

"Ah, Akina, we have something to tell you..." Sakura began nervously, licking her lips. Akina merely raised an eyebrow and waited for the medic-nin to elaborate. "Well, your father proposed to me...-"

"I know." Akina interrupted, and almost laughed aloud at the comical looks on both of her parents faces.

"You...you what?!" Sakura asked, aghast. And here she thought that she was bringing some happy news into her daughters life!

"God, mom, I know. I mean, you'd have to be blind not to see the engagement ring hanging around your neck." Okay, so maybe that was a _teensy_ little lie. Sakura had actually hidden her little secret quite well. But not good enough; after all, Akina wasn't the daughter of two genius' for nothing.

"Who else knows?" Sasuke inquired quietly.

"Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata." Her father quirked a delicate eyebrow.

"The dobe noticed?" He mused amusedly. Akina laughed.

"Yeah, okay. I told him.'' Sasuke snorted at her confession.

"Figures." He muttered. Sakura looked at him in disbelief.

"Aren't you surprised that she found out?" She demanded.

"Not really. Akina's a smart girl. After all," he smirked, "she IS my daughter." Akina laughed and rolled her eyes.

"God, dad, conceited much?"

"Your father? No, of course not! He's absolutely _perfect_." Sasuke glared at Sakura for her use of sarcasm, and she stuck her tongue at him.

"Yeah, real mature, Sakura." She just shrugged her shoulders at him in response.

"So, when's the wedding?" Akina asked cheerfully, and Sasuke sighed.

"I don't know. Ask your mother." The young girl turned to the pink-haired medic, and with a rather frightening gleam in their eyes, began to chatter away. Sasuke sweatdropped. _Women. _

------

Sakura sighed as she repeatedly banged her head on the table in front of her, which was currently strewn with papers. Her wedding was in 13 days, dammit, and she felt stressed enough to drive a kunai into the next person's neck that bothered her.

"You know, you're going to give yourself a headache." Said an amused voice. Sakura's shoulders tensed, but she didn't do anything; after all, it wasn't wise to murder the groom.

"Well, I'm kind of frustrated here, Sasuke." Sakura snapped, then instantly felt bad. She felt his presence get nearer, and heard him sink into the chair beside her. Immediately, a warm hand was on the back of her neck, cool and comforting.

"Do you want any help?" Sakura lifted her head and looked Sasuke in the eye, then shook her head. He was a _male_. They weren't designed to do weddings, and while she loved him, she would never entrust him with something such as this. Besides, she had ideas all in her head. Sakura had already asked Sasuke what he wanted, and he had shrugged his shoulders and merely said, "Whatever's good for you is good for me." Which basically meant, "I'm going to dump everything on you because I'm a man and we don't do petty weddings." Well, it's what Sakura supposed it meant, anyway.

"No," Sakura sighed, "I'm good. Just kind of worn out is all." Now, there were two hands on her shoulders, massaging them. Sakura's head dropped once more, succumbing to the feeling. _He was so good with his hands..._

A little while later, Sasuke stopped torturing her with his hands.

"Feel better?" He inquired smugly, knowing exactly how he had been affecting her. Sakura lifted her head and glared at him. Sasuke smirked at her, and kissed her on the lips quickly before departing.

The pink-haired woman groaned, and with a couple of venomous thoughts about _what _she was going to do to Sasuke when she next saw him, Sakura got working once more on her wedding plans.

------

Akina's eyes opened slowly, and she stretched, yawning leisurely under the early September sun. Her bracelet caught the bright light, and the girl smiled, her mind going back to her birthday.

_Flashback _

_"Akina!" Said girl's eyes opened abruptly, ready to kill whoever had disturbed her peaceful sleep. However, this wasn't going to be the case, as she saw a pair of bright green eyes hovering over her. Akina inwardly sighed; it was only her mother. "Happy birthday baby!" Sakura chirped, and Akina froze, her still-fast-asleep mind trying to process these words. In all her irritation of being woken up so early -what time was it, anyway?- she had totally forgotten the date. Akina smiled up at her mother. _

_"Thanks, mom." She said, and Sakura backed away, allowing her daughter to throw the blankets off herself and stand up. _

_"Morning, dad." Akina said brightly, spotting her father leaning casually against her doorframe. Sasuke smirked. _

_"Good morning, Akina. Forget it was your birthday?" Akina immediately flushed. _

_"No!" She defended hotly, but they both knew it was a feeble argument. His smirk widened, and he pushed himself off the wall, standing with his hands in his pockets. _

_"Of course not, " he said coolly, "Anyway, it's about time you woke up. Everyone's downstairs waiting for you." Akina's eyes widened, and she immediately pushed past her parents and ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. _

_The minute that they spotted her, different cries of "Happy birthday, Akina-chan!" rang through the living room. The dark-haired girl smiled, and like a true Uchiha, went around and greeted people and thanked them, despite the fact that she was in a pair of short shorts and a tank top. _

_She also received various gifts, including some from her parents. However, she mused before she fell asleep that night, full and exhausted from the day's efforts, her favorite had been a bracelet they had gotten her. It was gold, with little x's and o's on them. The x's had little diamonds running down them, and was very pretty. All in all, it had been a pretty good day. After that last thought, the Uchiha heir had fallen asleep. _

_End Flashback_

That had been a fun day. Akina grinned as she spotted the date on her calendar. However, today was going to be even more fun. The block on her calendar was circled several times in red ink, and underneath it said: Mom and dad's wedding.

It was official: Sakura was going crazy. Or at least, she felt like it. Everybody was bustling around her, trying to get everything ready, and she hadn't seen Sasuke in three days. People had muttered something about "bad luck". Well, Sakura was about to mutter something different, and what she was about to utter would send all of those people to their hospital beds. Then she mentally smacked herself; she WORKED at that hospital. Damn! Why couldn't she have been a dentist or something?

"Sakura!" Ino shrieked, "Why are you just standing there?! It's your wedding, for God's sake! Go get dressed! Actually, no. Get over here, I'm doing your makeup." Turning deaf ears to the woman's protests, Ino did what she did best: making people look beautiful.

"Thank you, Ino." Sakura said gratefully a half-hour later. She actually did look pretty. There was a white sparkly dust gently powdering her eyelids, and her viridian eyes had been outlined in black eyeliner to make them stand out more. Her lips had been turned into a pink that kind of reminded Sakura of her hair, her cheeks the same color, to give her porcelain skin some color.

"I know," said the blond, proudly staring at her best friend, "I've outdone myself. Now, go get dressed and get back here. I still have to do your hair." Sakura did as told, and once she came back, Ino allowed herself unashamedly to gap at the woman's dress. It was strapless, and came sweeping back behind her, so Sakura had grabbed it and bunched it up in order to walk, stumbling along clumsily because she was in pure white high-heels. The light caught at the dress, showing off the sparkles that glittered magnificently. Ino felt rather jealous. "You look so beautiful, Sakura-chan." She whispered.

Sakura looked at her best friend, and tears came spilling from her eyes. Good thing Ino had remembered to put water-proof mascara on her friend's face beforehand.

"Oh, Ino-chan." Sakura said, and then the two were embracing, laughing and crying. After a couple of moments of hugging, the two pulled away, both dabbing at their eyes. "Remember when we were little, and we used to fight over Sasuke? And we made bets on who would marry him?" Ino grinned at her.

"Of course I remember, Forehead!" The blue-eyed female smiled, albeit sadly. "You won, of course, in the end," then her smile brightened, "but I love Shika-kun, and I'm glad I married him." Sakura smiled gently.

"You two are very happy."

"You and Sasuke are like that too. I'm glad it's you he's marrying, and not me. You always loved him, even after he betrayed the village and everybody hated him. Me included, although I'm embarrassed at how I'd acted when he was around."

"Me too." Sakura confessed, giggling at Ino began to brush Sakura's soft pink hair. "I mean, I was always clinging him to me and asking him out on dates. I was pretty pathetic." Ino stopped.

"I'm sorry about how I acted when he left." Sakura knew what she had been referring to. When everybody had found out that Sakura was pregnant, they had all assumed it was Naruto's or Lee's, someone nice who was strong. But when Sakura had told them that no, it was Sasuke's, they were all jerks to her, calling her a slut to her back (and sometimes even to her face). The female had taken it all in stride, but when Ino herself had been making fun of Sakura, the emerald-eyed teen had burst out into tears and had run to the forest. Guilt eating away at her, Ino had followed her former friend. Sakura had been against a tree, knees pulled up to her chest and head in her hands, shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Ino had thought for sure that her heart was tearing into pieces at the sight. She had kneeled across from Sakura, and after a moments hesitation, had pulled the girl into her arms and whispered soothing words into her ear. She had told her how sorry she was, and that she hadn't meant it, and that she didn't care if the baby was even Orochimaru's, that she would be there for Sakura because _that's what friends did_. In turn, Sakura had confided in her about how scared she felt; that she was wasn't ready for motherhood, but she wouldn't give away the baby. She already loved the little thing growing inside of her. From then on, Ino had always been there for Sakura. It was surprising how the boy who had broken their friendship had also mended it together.

"It's okay." Sakura said, and Ino began to do her hair again. "It's my fault, really. I mean, we broke up our friendship over a boy. We were both really stupid." The blond smiled but didn't reply, and a little while later, Sakura's hair was done. It was in a bun, nothing really fancy, but that was before her friend had placed a diamond-encrusted tiara in her hair, complete with the veil.

A knock sounded at the door, and the two turned to the sound. "Who is it?"

"Kakashi." Came the muffled response, and the azure-eyed female rushed to go open the door. A silver-haired man smiled at Sakura, glancing her over with his one eye. "Sakura, you look beautiful." He praised, and Sakura smiled, blushing slightly at the compliment.

"Thank you Kakashi-sensei. You don't look half-bad yourself." Indeed, her former sensei looked rather dashing in a tux. He nodded absentmindedly, glancing at the clock.

"You'd better hurry up, or else we're going to be late." Grinning, Sakura fake-swooned into Ino's arms, the both of them laughing.

"Hatake Kakashi? Early for something? Never!" He shot her a look, and Sakura smiled, straightening up and smoothing out her dress.

"Okay, okay. I'm ready." She took a deep breath and slipped her arm through Kakashi's, and the two of them walked to the double doors, which behind them hid Sasuke. And as the music started, Sakura got ready to begin the rest of her future. She found that she wasn't afraid.

"I love you, Uchiha Sakura." Whispered Sasuke in her ear, holding her close as the two danced. Sakura smiled and buried her head deeper into his neck, inhaling the scent of his cologne and getting lost in the feel of his arms around her, his mouth kissing her gently on the cheek as they swayed.

"I love you too, Uchiha Sasuke." She murmured back, and felt him sigh against her face. The song ended, and he pulled away, a tiny -but still there- smile on his face.

"I'll be back." He assured her, and walked away. Naruto quickly took his place, grinning as he swept Sakura up and placed his hands on her petite waist.

"How's it goin', Sakura-chan?" He asked casually, and Sakura smiled.

Amazing." She said simply, and he grinned.

"I'm glad. You look really pretty tonight." Sakura laughed.

"Naruto, you've only told me that about five times. I get it; I look very pretty."

Well, have I told you that you look like a total babe right now?"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded, laughing louder and slapping him gently on the shoulder, but her bright smile told Naruto that she wasn't really mad. Her blond friend merely shrugged.

"It's true." He defended, and they smiled at each other.

"You know, "Naruto began, "this isn't how I imagined your wedding."

"It's not?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nuh-uh. Ten years ago, when I had imagined your wedding, it was ME you were marrying." Sakura smiled.

"And deprive Hinata? Nope." It was Naruto's turn to smile.

"I'm glad you're marrying that teme. I trust him."

"You're just biased because he's your best friend."

"That too."

The song finished, and with a quick hug, the two departed. Sakura also danced with Kakashi, Lee, and -surprise surprise- Neji. Sakura felt rather like she was Cinderella, and after so many horrible years, was finally marrying her Prince Charming. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Sasuke glanced around, hearing muffled talking. His sharp ears depicted that yes, it was his daughter. He also heard another voice and smiled. Figures. She was a popular girl.

He headed towards the sound and watched his daughter converse with Ayame. The latter was dressed in green, the color matching her eyes perfectly. Akina was wearing lavender silk, and her hair was up, her dark eyes twinkling. He smirked as he heard the girl speak excitedly about getting her Sharingan, and he waited a couple of more minutes before stepping forward and alerting them to his presence. Immediately Akina paled.

"D-dad, what're you doing out here?" She stuttered nervously, letting out a shaky chuckle.

"Looking for you." Came his calm response. "Hello, Ayame."

"Hello, Sasuke-sama. Congratulations." Said Ayame, bowing.

"Thanks. Can I talk to my daughter alone? You can go inside if you want; she'll be there in a second. Plus, the food is out." Nodding, Ayame waved and headed in the direction of the tent. "So... Sharingan huh?" Akina started to stutter out a response, but her father lifted a hand, silencing her. "Let me see it. Don't worry, I'm not mad." And so she did.

"I only have two tomoe." Akina said quietly, and Sasuke shrugged.

"That's okay, you're not very powerful at the moment. As your power increases, so does how many tomoe you have. You'll probably have three tomoe when you're a teenager."

"Are you gonna tell mom?" Sasuke hesitated.

"Not tonight. We'll give her a month or so, and then we'll spring the surprise on her." Akina smiled. "Anyway, come on. I wasn't joking about the food. That dobe was stuffing his face, and I believe he said something about how good it was." His nose wrinkled slightly, and then he turned and started to walk away. Smiling in some slight embarrassment, Akina caught up to him. She slipped her hand into his larger, more calloused one and squeezed it. He squeezed back, and together, the two re-entered the tent.

**A/N- I typed the majority of this chapter in like... 4 hours. Wow, I feel so accomplished . Anyway, sorry it's kinda late. I've decided that I'll update around the beginning of each month, so yeah, it'll be a while before I update. Plus, the upcoming chapter might be a little later than usual. It's gonna be long (although perhaps not as long as this one) because of the chain of events that occur. Also, I've been working on my newest story, called For one more day. It's on MY username, which is HPBabe91. Review if you haven't! **

**So yes, Sasuke and Sakura get married, and Sasuke finds out about Akina's Sharingan! Betcha nobody saw that one coming! XD. Oh, and the last chapter -and yes, I've finally decided- is going to be the 18th. I know, I said the 19th, but I wanted to end it evenly. Technically, the next chapter will be the last; the 18th is just going to be an epilogue. So far, I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed and/or read my story. I'll list everybody that I love in the next chapter, as well as my final dedications to everybody who has been here with me from the beginning of July, when I first started Surprise. And now, once again, I'm answering reviews! **

**SDJ- **Sorry! You're taking Living Environment? God, you're lucky. But I'm now passing Bio with a B! Hell yeah! And I know what you mean, I'm grounded too. Haha, notice how I'm on the comp? Thanks for the review!

**Niki Nguyen- **I would cheerfully let you guys beat me to death if I had Sakura refuse his proposal.

**2supersmart- **Oh, I know how that feels. I'm a super big Mets fan, so anybody that's a Yankees fan I basically don't like. With me, it's anybody that insults my team gets their ass kicked. RJA is awesome!!! And Face Down was the first song I ever heard from them, it's so addicting!

**Setsuna-chan09- **Caps lock much? XD. I'm glad you saved my chapter until last; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm glad you love my story so much!

**Keiana- **I'm still debating about that, because I'm not very good with lemons. If I do ever make it, it'd be a one-shot. And probably a terrible lemon, because I can read them, but not write them. I'd probably get all flustered XD. Thanks for the review!

**Sakora Haruno- **Wow, I feel so special . You broke your rule just for me? Yay! Hope you liked the chapter!

**Odat- **I was always typing, darling, I was just experiencing Writers Block. I had some major issues with that for this chapter. Not fun. But eventually, I just sat down and started to type it because my muse came back from God-knows-where and almost killed me with ideas. That, and the fact that Christina threatened to beat me if I didn't get this chapter up and fast. God, she's such a violent thing...

**Tierra- **Did this chapter answer your question? Haha, I kinda used my future wedding dress for Sakura's. Oh well. Hope you liked the chapter.

**Cupcakies- **Oh, trust me, Biology IS yucky. If I could, I would drop it. However, it, like cliffhangers, is a necessary evil. Plus, if I was to go into Essentials Biology I think I'd have to kill myself. Academic Bio is hard, but she doesn't check the homework that often. I think I'd take Acad. Bio anyday.

**Bunnyandpuppylover- **Never fear, it's in his hand. The ring will show up in the next chapter, because I was too lazy to type it in this one. Thanks for the review!

**SasukeLover001- **Haha, I'm very sorry for the wait. I hope you didn't kill anybody. Oh, and this isn't my username. MY username is HPBabe91. Invisible1withnofaith is just my cousin, Christina's. Sorry! If you want to PM me, do so at HPBabe91. Hope this chapter satisfied your needs!

**NarutoUzumakiLuver- **Yeah, Sasuke is a jerk on TV. But he's a HOT jerk. And SasuSaku rocks, but I'm glad you love me so much that you read my SasuSaku. Meh, I feel so loved . Naruto's awesome too!

**Sunrise Horizon- **Weeeell, I don't know about the BEST story, but yes, I am rather fond of it. Thank you for the review!

**Maye Uchiha- **Haha, I can be a chatter box too. And I know EXACTLY where you're coming from. My Bio teacher is a bitch, I hate her too. But still, just think a couple of more months until June and then we'll be freeeee! I am SO not taking Bio next year; I think I'd have to just kill myself if I did. Anyway, thank you for the review. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Ivellios- **Can't believe I never thanked you in my previous chapter (hands you a cookie). Thank you A MILLION for the review! I can totally see why you wouldn't support the SasuSaku couple. You're right; Sasuke on most occasions does act like an asshole. But as the anime goes on, he gets better. Bah, college must suck. I wouldn't know, I'm just a freshie in High School. But I do rather think that this story keeps me sane. Ja! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

**Anyway, people, that's it! Please review my other story, For one more day. It's on MY account (once again, for those that didn't know, this is my cousin's account, Christina. Let's give her a round of applause for being so awesome) which is HPBabe91. See you in about a month, my loves!**


	18. Authors Note

Alright, so, this isn't a chapter. All will be explained.

So, I know, I haven't updated since December. BUT I HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE! (okay, well, not really, but there's a method behind my madness, alright?) So I started typing up the next chapter, but I'm very sorry guys; this is this worst bout of writers block I've ever had.

Not only that, but high school is REALLY hectic. I had midterms in January, and I've had to focus on other things such as softball, school, and my other writings. And now...

Finals. Yes, pity me. In Italian, I have a ten page final AND I have to write an essay in Italian. So, anybody want to kill me yet? You will once you realize how stupid I've been.

I was going to write this earlier, and I tried in March, but when I entered Christina's e-mail address and password, it wasn't letting me sign in. And mind you, my computer is a senior and, therefore, should be excused for it's...lack of abilities. So it was being retarded, and I only discovered last night that I had changed the e-mail and password to another one that I own, and felt really stupid. So yeah, I suck. And I'm REALLY sorry you guys. I truly, honestly am. I never expected Surprise to be a big hit since it was the first multi-chaptered stories I wrote for Naruto. Which, mind you, was a month I had discovered it. So when I went back and re-read it, I almost gagged on the OOC-ness. Plus, this was when I wasn't the best of writers and still used OC's.

However, you guys have clearly made me see differently, since I have heard from so many on how much you love this story. And I appriciate it SO MUCH because, as a writer, we are our own toughest critics. And I just want to take the time and thank all of you who have been so patient with me thus far. I've got a lot going on with school, but softball ends in like, two weeks, and I'll post the next chapter of For One More Day, which is on my other FFN account, HPBabe91. But after that, I swear to God I'll get crackin on that chapter of Surprise. If I really dedicate my time to it, it should be up in July. Also because Christina has been on my case about it, so she'll probably force me to type up the chapter while I'm at her house.

I know, I suck really bad, but please be patient with me for a little longer. I'm doing the best I can, but I'm getting kicked off the computer in like, three seconds so I have no time to thank you all individually. However, know that it touches me that you all love this story, since I was ready to just give up on it.

Once more, I'm very sorry.


	19. The Aftermath

Chapter 18: The Aftermath

As much as Akina loved her parents wedding, she also grumbled about it. Why? There was a simple reason, and it was that school was starting. They had their wedding in the fall, right near school time, so a week later found Uchiha Akina (she liked the sound of that) getting up early and sitting angrily at the kitchen table, slowly eating a bowl of cereal. Sasuke was also eating breakfast, smirking at his sulking daughter while Sakura sat there, sipping at a cup of coffee and blatantly ignoring her husband and daughter.

"So, Akina, glad to be going back to school?" Sasuke asked, that oh-so-familiar smirk on his face. His daughter glared at him, causing his smirk to widen.

"Sasuke, please don't provoke Akina." Sakura said tiredly, and Sasuke merely shrugged, although he was still smirking and Akina was still staring at him hard, her eyes like jagged pieces of flint, looking ready to set her father on fire.

"I know that you don't want to return back to school, but don't worry, it'll all be over soon and you'll be on a genin team with your sensei." Sasuke said, and the dark-haired girl looked down and nodded at her bowl of soggy cereal. Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Honestly, she had never thought that her husband would be so...childish. She inwardly smirked; perhaps Naruto had rubbed off on Sasuke more than they all believed.

"Okay, Akina, it's almost time." Sakura told her daughter, glancing at the clock. Akina groaned loudly, and Sasuke chuckled.

"Come on, you. I'll walk you."

"You ALWAYS walk me." Akina grumbled, but complied. She kissed her mother on the cheek and headed out into the living room, grabbing her backpack and heading out the door with Sasuke. She yawned as they walked, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

She was gonna have to get used to waking up early from now on, even if she didn't want to.

It was obvious that fall was in the air. The leaves on the trees were turning a crisp red, and some crunched underneath their feet. Akina sighed and shifted her backpack. In a flash, it was off her, and she glanced around, bewildered. It was then that she noticed that it was in her father's hands, and she growled. He merely shrugged.

The youngest Uchiha sighed and didn't object any further; after all, Sasuke was only nice for no reason on so many accounts. He was still that cold man before he left. Akina saw it, as did her mom. There were days were he would just sit there and be totally silent, or he would snap at one of them. Of course, there were worse days than that. Akina had once fallen asleep on the couch with her dad, only to be woken up by violent convulsions: it was Sasuke.

He had never told her what his nightmare had been about, and Akina had never asked; however, the look of utmost pain that had been on his face would forever stay with her.

"Is that girl still bothering you?" He asked, and Akina knew whom he meant. She silently shook her head.

"No. After I didn't respond to her teasing, she just...gave up." Sasuke merely nodded, and the younger one glanced up, watching as his jaw clenched and he kept his eyes straight ahead. Akina sighed; they were cold and empty, and it was obvious that something was bothering him. She reached up and grabbed at his hand, and her father looked down at her. She smiled slightly, and his eyes softened before he squeezed her hand and they continued to walk.

"Akina!" Ayame squealed, and the last Uchiha found herself in a tight and choking hug.

"C-can't breathe!" She gasped out, and her best friend let go, grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry," the green-eyed girl apologized, "it just feels like it's been forever since I saw you."

Akina frowned, but her lips twitched upwards: a sure sign she was trying to smile but was fighting it. "You just saw me a week ago."

"Exactly!"

Sasuke shook his head, smirking. He placed a hand atop Akina's head, and she looked up at him. She wasn't laughing, but her eyes were. "I'll be back at three, okay?" His daughter nodded, and he gave her a tiny smile before dropping her book bag gently and turning, walking back to the house. The two little girls watched him go, Akina with narrowed eyes, Ayame's merely curious.

"Is something the matter with him?" Ayame asked quietly, and Akina sighed.

"I have no idea. He always seems to be on edge lately," her eyes, if possible, narrowed even more at her fathers retreating back, "it's as if he's waiting for something." She sighed, running a hand through her raven hair. "Forget about it. Let's go, before we're late." Ayame nodded, and the two incredibly reluctant girls walked inside, condemned to their fate.

* * *

Weeks passed, and as they did, Sakura's hormones took a permanent ride on a roller coaster. One minute she was screaming at Sasuke, the next, crying in his arms. Overall, said male was _very _confused, although he would never admit it. He would just hold her to him, wondering what the **hell **could be wrong with his wife. 

Not only was Sasuke confused, Akina was as well. Her mother slept a lot, ate a lot, and she seemed to be having quite a few emotional problems. Just the other day Akina had dropped a plate, accidentally slicing her finger a little bit, and it had been _Sakura _who had started crying.

Can I get Confused for $500, Alex? **(A/N- Reference to Jeopardy. I know, there's no Jeopardy in Japan, but work with me here, people!)**

"Dad?" Akina murmured, as Sasuke washed dishes and she herself dried them.

"Hn."

"Is...is mom okay?" Her father sighed, privately glad that Sakura had gone in to go take a nap, claiming that she was exhausted.

"Of course, Akina. She's just tired; she works a lot, you know that." Akina nodded, absentmindedly drying a plate carefully so that she wouldn't hurt herself again.

"Yeah, I know. But... she hasn't been herself these past few weeks." She said lowly, and Sasuke felt inclined to agree; however, he knew better than to pester his petal-haired wife, not unless he wanted to find himself thrown through a wall, courtesy of her monstrous strength.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," is what he said instead. His daughter nodded again, and Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder. Dark orbs stared up at his, their eyes mirroring one another.

"Are you sure, daddy?" Akina whispered, setting down the plate she had just dried. "I'm really worried about her."

"She's a medic."

"She's also human."

Sasuke grunted, and his female clone sighed, putting the last dish away. "I'm gonna go do some homework," she told him.

"Hn. Good idea." Akina nodded, and began to walk away, but she stopped at the doorway.

"Oh, and dad?" He turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "You don't have to walk me to school tomorrow."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose higher. "I have a mission tomorrow, but why?"

"Because Kayo-kun is going to walk me." She announced cheerfully. **(A/N- Kayo means beautiful generation. I was going for genes here, I guess. Sakura falls in love with the most beautiful boy of her age, Akina has a crush on the most handsome of hers. Get it?)**

_Kayo-**kun**_?!

However, Akina had flitted away upstairs. Sasuke scowled darkly, because now, he couldn't comma- er, _ask _her to **staythefuckAWAY** from this boy.

"Che, whatever," he muttered to himself. "If Kayo so much as even looks at her, he'll find he can't have kids in the future. _Especially _with MY daughter."

"Possessive much?" A voice teased, and Sasuke turned towards it. Sakura leaned against the door, smiling, though her eyes were tired. His eyes narrowed at his wife, and he made his way over to her.

"Hn." He muttered, scrutinizing the female. Her eyebrow rose.

"Something the matter, Sasuke?"

"No, not with me," he said, coming over and slipping his arms around her waist, and she burrowed her head into his chest. "But you look exhausted, Sakura."

She sighed. "That's because I am."

"Are you sick?" Sasuke asked, pulling back and peering into her eyes as if it would say so right there.

"I don't think so. It might be something else, a bug or something, but I'm going to visit Tsunade-sama to see what's up tomorrow." Sasuke nodded and kissed her forehead. She smiled slightly. "So, I've noticed that Akina has some Uchiha family books spread out on her bed, particularly about the Sharingan," if she felt Sasuke stiffen slightly, she didn't mention it, "I wonder when she'll get her Sharingan."

Sasuke inwardly cringed. "Well, erm, she already has." Much to his surprise, Sakura nodded.

"I thought as much." She mused softly.

"You mean you knew?" The male Uchiha inquired, feeling slightly curious. Sakura nodded.

"Call it Mothers Intuition." Sasuke smirked and picked up his wife bridal-style, causing her to shriek softly and laugh.

"Uchiha Sasuke, put me down!"

"Sure..." he said, smirking, "when we get to the bedroom. I want you to go to sleep."

"I know that look of yours; you have no intention of sleeping!"

Sasuke's only response was for his smirk to widen.

* * *

"Dad?" Akina asked, looking at her father in shock. He sat at their kitchen table, sipping some coffee. "Don't you have a mission?" 

"I cancelled it." He replied calmly.

"Why...?" Akina asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry about it." He answered vaguely, and she gave him a look and crossed her arms. She grabbed a bagel and began to eat quickly, glancing at the clock every so often. "Antsy much?"

She scowled at him. "No," she denied, and Sasuke smirked.

"Sure." He said, but didn't sound too convinced.

Akina glared at the man. "Nice diversion. Don't think I'm going to let you forget about changing the subject." Sasuke looked a little disgruntled at his daughter having caught on to his scheme, but otherwise didn't deny it. "Dad..." she began hesitantly, and Sasuke looked at her, knowing from the serious tone of her voice that she knew something he didn't, "is mom pregnant?"

In a rather comic move, Sasuke choked on his coffee, inwardly scowling; Naruto (that dobe!) must've been rubbing off on him. "Why would you say that?"

Akina shot him a flat look, one that he recognized giving to people in Konoha before he betrayed it. Huh, he never knew it was contagious. Then again, she WAS his daughter. "Dad, I'm not stupid. Aunt Hinata had the same symptoms as mom, and obviously, you guys have been married for a while. So that'd mean that she's like, what? A month along?"

"Where are you getting all this information?!" Honestly, she was rather knowledgeable for a nine year old.

Akina smirked. "Sources." _'Aunt Ino...'_ Her aunt was a medic, and her best friend; it was obvious Sakura would confide in the blond. Akina just happened to overhear, that's all. She wasn't eavesdropping, nope, definitely not. Her? Not a chance.

"Your mother isn't pregnant, Akina," Sasuke said monotonously. "I think you're just too eager for a little brother or sister."

The dark-haired girl pouted. "Well, can you blame me? I was alone with mom for the first seven years of my life, with just the people in Konoha to keep me company. You hadn't come home yet, and my cousins might've been like my siblings, but it wasn't the same, y'know?" She smiled a little sadly, and her father shifted uncomfortably, not liking the guilt that built in the pit of his stomach.

"Hn." He murmured, stuffing his hands into his pockets- a habit he didn't think he could _ever _break. "Don't you have someone else to bother?"

Akina smirked at him cheerfully (and a little sadistically too, he noted). "Aww, don't you love me, daddy?" She batted her eyelashes at him, and he snorted.

"Go pester Ayame, or something." She pouted, but then smiled brightly when he shook his head and ruffled her hair.

"Okay, bye dad, I love you." She said happily, kissing him on the cheek. He smirked and waved at her as she turned around and bounded out the door. "Hi, Kayo-kun!"

Immediately the male Uchiha was at the door. A boy with spiky brown hair and hazel eyes was smiling slightly at Akina.

"Hi, Ki-chan." **KI-CHAN?!** It was then Kayo noticed Sasuke standing in the doorway, and he bowed. "Uchiha-sama."

"Boy, look at my daughter funnily and..." Sasuke smirked, "well, you don't wanna know the consequences."

Akina scowled at him, hooking her arm through Kayo's, who had merely nodded. "Yes sir." He murmured quietly.

"Smart boy." Sasuke praised.

"Dad!" Akina hissed. "Try anything funny and I'll sic mom on you!" Scowling at him and huffing, Akina marched away, chatting eagerly with Kayo, but not before turning around and glaring at him for one last time.

Sasuke couldn't believe it. _She_ was using intimidation on _him_!

He was so proud of her.

Sasuke smirked and headed inside and back upstairs to check on his wife.

"Sakura?" Sasuke asked from outside the door, wincing slightly at the retching sounds coming from inside. He waited a couple of minutes more before he heard the sound of running water penetrated through the door, and Sakura appeared a little while later, smiling tiredly. Sasuke didn't like the bags underneath her eyes. He gently grabbed her by the upper arm and steered her toward their bed. "C'mon, you're tired."

"But it's only six thirty! And I have to cook dinner!" Sakura protested weakly, but Sasuke shook his head, never releasing his grip.

"I'll cook," he told her, as if this just solved everything, causing the pink-haired female to scowl at him angrily.

Did she ever mention how much she hated him? Why did she ever marry this stubborn Uchiha in the first place? Sasuke turned around and smirked at her, then leaned over and kissed her on the temple, and Sakura blinked before a serene smile spread across her face.

_That's why. _

When Sakura awoke, she was aware of the warm feeling that was holding her; however, there was something wrong... she glanced down, and her eyebrows furrowed in the middle. Akina was scrunched in between Sakura and Sasuke, but the emerald-eyed mother noticed the paths of water that trailed down her daughter's cheeks. Akina barely ever cried anymore, so what had happened?

Her motherly instinct urged her to wake the girl up and just hold her, murmuring soothing comforts in her ear and goading her to explain the reason for her tears; however, she just wrapped her arms around the smaller female and placed her cheek on the top of Akina's head, listening to her soft, even breathing.

When Sasuke woke up the next morning, it was to find his wife and child huddled together. He smirked slightly, moving a piece of Akina's dark hair behind her ear and kissing Sakura on the forehead before getting ready to go see the Godaime. He was hoping that she had a mission for him, since he wanted to get some extra money. Not that he needed it, of course, but it would be good to get out of the house, if only for a few days.

The morning air was cool as Sasuke stepped out of the house; the sun was barely rising, now that fall was finally back upon them all. The Uchiha shoved his hands in his pockets and walked faster, until finally the sight of the Hokage Tower rose into his sights.

"Come in!" Tsunade called, hearing someone knock on her door. A tall dark-haired male walked in, bowing his head at her stiffly. "Ahh, Sasuke. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Tsunade-sama, I was wondering if you had any missions for me." The hazel-eyed female smirked.

"You just got back from your honeymoon not too long ago and you're already itching for a hard mission?" She inquired, and Sasuke shrugged.

"Keeps me busy." He muttered, and Tsunade nodded.

"Alright, let me look," she replied, and began to shift things, looking for the folders that held missions in them; however, another folder caught her eye and Tsunade frowned, opening it up. She scanned the writing that was in there, eyes widening slightly before locking with Sasuke's obsidian ones. "Sorry, Sasuke, I can't give you a mission right now."

The onyx-haired man scowled. "Why the hell not?!" He demanded, and the blond shook her head, sighing.

"That is not my answer to give. You'll learn why eventually." Sasuke scowled and muttered something inaudible beneath his breath, a curse that the female ignored. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. Just wait and be patient. In the meantime, why don't you go home to Sakura and Akina?"

"Alright. Goodbye, Tsunade-sama." Sasuke said lowly, not even bothering to incline his head this time before poof-ing out of sight. Tsunade sighed, closing her eyes and running a hand through her hair in frustration before re-opening them, fixating her gaze on the papers she held in her hand.

_I can't believe this..._

---

"Akina? Akina, sweetheart, wake up." Midnight eyes slid open, and the girl yawned, stretching.

"Mom? What's up?" Sakura was propped up on her one elbow, fist in her cheek as she gazed down at her daughter. Akina smiled sleepily and Sakura returned the gesture. She then proceeded to brush the dark hair from the girl's face.

"Akina, why were you crying last night?" Akina frowned and looked down at the comforter, twisting it slightly in her grasp.

"I'm not sure," she confessed softly. "All I remember was having this really weird dream. In it, I was...well, I was facing someone's back. It was dad; I know it was cause of the uchiwa fan that was sowed on the back, but he was younger. Like, a teenager. And I kept on screaming that I loved him and that if he stayed how happy I would make him. Mom?"

Sakura had stiffened, eyes unfocused as they stared unblinkingly at the wall behind Akina. "Mom?" Repeated the smaller female, and Sakura finally looked back down to her. She gave her daughter a weak smile before leaning down and kissing her gently on the forehead.

"Yeah," said Sakura, "that IS a weird dream." The roseate-haired female smiled before throwing off the comforters. "Why don't you try and get some more sleep, honey?"

Akina smiled and snuggled farther under the thick blankets. "Okay." She whispered. Within moments, she was asleep.

Sakura exited the room, closing the door softly before sliding down it, clutching at her arms and closing her eyes tightly. She knew _exactly _what Akina had dreamed of: the night Sasuke left.

---

Three weeks passed and Tsunade had _yet _to contact him. The only good thing to be said about staying home was that he could help Akina with her homework. For her part, Sakura's mood swings seemed to have stopped, though on more than one occasion Sasuke had seen her space out. It was beginning to worry him, but he didn't say much about it.

Sasuke trudged home one morning after he had dropped off Akina at the Academy. Opening the door, he called out for his wife. "In the kitchen, Sasuke." She yelled back. When he removed himself of his coat, he walked in there. He blinked at the sight that greeted him.

For the first time in a while, Sakura was _radiating_; however, Sasuke could tell that she was only slightly happy. He kissed her on the cheek before taking a seat and scooting it close to her.

"Sakura," he began, but Sakura shook her head, indicating for him to stop.

"I already know what you're going to say, Sasuke." She said. She smiled nervously. "You want to know why I've been so moody and unpredictable for these past two months, right?"

Sasuke nodded, and Sakura took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**A/N-- Augh, this is the WORST CHAPTER EVER. If this could even be **_**called **_**a chapter. It was shorter than the others were, but I wanted to give you guys SOMETHING, since I haven't properly updated since December. Which I am, once more, so VERY sorry for. I've really been having a terrible writers block with this, and for those of you who have stuck with me for the year that Surprise has been created (actually, more) I cannot thank you enough. Free Kakashi t-shirts for you all!**

**Now, as I said in the A/N that I gave you guys two months ago (-cringes-) I've had some pretty big issues with Surprise, and for those of you that understood the kind of trouble I've been having, thank you SO much; however, for those of you who simply CAN'T be patient and have been hounding me with reviews that merely say OMG IT'S BEEN SO LONG WTF UPDATE! Or "PMing" me, those go to Christina. For some reason, she gets PMs. Unless she somehow hacked into my e-mailing. But anyway, while I'm glad that you love my story so much, please stop. That will only serve to tick me off even more.**

**Now, this was supposed to be a longer chapter, but you guys have suffered enough. So, the last chapter WILL be the last, and then after that is the epilogue. After that, I'm done. No more Surprise, it's totally finished. And I won't be using this penname anymore; I'll be on my more-frequently-used, HPBabe91. **

**Now, many MANY thanks for waiting so patiently, and don't forget to review!**


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